the last of his line

"Last” is a word that comes up automatically whenever one thinks of graveyards and death; the last day of ones life is a scary concept and an overwhelming one as well. Just one last thought, one last breath, one last second and then….. What would it be like to face your last hour when you... Continue Reading →

death’s orchard

St. Mary’s Chapel  yard in Inverness, an ancient burial ground right in the heart of the Highland’s capital, is but rarely visited, being somehow hidden behind high walls. Chapel Yard is one of three ancient burial grounds in Inverness and probably dates back as far as 1233. In the early days two churches with the... Continue Reading →

testimony of the rocks

Hugh Miller was born 1st January 1802, a new year that brought a new and influential life to the community of Cromarty, a small seaport on the Cromarty Firth. Hugh was passionate about stones and became a stone mason’s apprentice as soon as he was old enough. Later his ambitions became more refined, he studied geology.... Continue Reading →

until death do them part

In the early years of the 17th century, hardly any Catholic priests were left in Scotland, the country was Protestant to its core and the old religion nearly wiped out. Nearly but not completely. Those few who had kept their faith, had to practice their religion secretly after the reformation. In areas where a few... Continue Reading →

boundless cruelty

If you travel to Forres, as Shakespeare’s Macbeth did in the Scottish play, you will come across a strange, supernatural thing. Just like he did. Not in a cavern with a boiling cauldron in the middle, not on a wild eerie heath but right in the present everyday normality in front of Forres’ police station:... Continue Reading →

victims of mass murder

If stones could talk, what stories could the Isle of Skye tell. Some stones can talk and do so loudly for those who care to listen. Hidden among low trees next to the ruined chapel of St. John's in Caroy lies a tiny old graveyard, amidst the dense foliage a number of new graves have been... Continue Reading →

The Murder of Maurice MacRae

Maurice MacRae’s murder was never really solved. Was he killed by just one person or by a few? Was he killed because of the money he was carrying or because someone wanted him and his sheep out of their territory? Or was it just a drunken brawl in a pub that got out of hand?... Continue Reading →

deadly water

Glen Strathfarrar is a very remote Glen in the Scottish Highlands. Visitors with a car are only allowed  access at certain times (especially in winter), a potholed single track road leads deep into the mountains. The glen still has all the unspoiled beauty of a picture book Highland scenery with all the harshness, that comes... Continue Reading →

common denominator

Truth is eternal. Death is the last truth. The end of every man’s life is the common denominator. We all share and face eventually one truth: death. Man’s longing for individuality and uniqueness on the other hand generate a need to differ, even in death. Graveyards are in most Middle European cultures a very diverse... Continue Reading →

killed at a graveyard

Soaring seagulls disturb the quiet evening blue with their shrieks. The distant waves lick the Glenelg shores in constant splashes. A peaceful place in quiet weather but the Sound of Sleat is a dangerous beast; a harsh and hostile wilderness difficult to be tamed. Wildlife is plenty. The Atlantic is brimming with fish, seals and otters. Quiet lie... Continue Reading →

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