This broken tombstone marks the grave of a man, who was hit by the force of tragedy so strongly, that he found it impossible to go on. Alexander Robertson died not long after disaster stuck his hotel on Loch Maree and was buried in the ancient burial ground of Isle Maree, the very place where... Continue Reading →
To be remembered is its major purpose; a graveyard has one central aim: to preserve the memory of loved ones gone. Its nucleus, heart or core or whatever you want to call it, is memory. If the last trace of those buried there is gone, a graveyard has lost its innermost purpose. Forgotten graves! It... Continue Reading →
The sun shines bright on the grey headstones of Old Kilmore graveyard in Drumnadrochit. It is an early morning on a hot summer’s day on the shores of Loch Ness. The old graveyard at the back of the little Highland village is just a ten minute walk from the main road that runs along the... Continue Reading →
Movement is essential to man, has been throughout history. On the ground, efficient movement, transport and travel, requires roads or paths, connecting and distancing people and places. The Romans zigzagged England with their roads, changing a people by changing its lifestyle. Scotland is very different in that respect. Even to this day roads are few... Continue Reading →
I close my eyes and a smile lights my face. Light lights my face and warms my skin. This is bliss. A blackbird is singing, the air is full of chirp and twitter, I can hear the burn nearby gurgling happily towards the sea that sends a warm salty smell from the bay. After so... Continue Reading →
The Isle of Skye, Scotland’s beautiful wild island, where the majestic Cuillins loom and where the old tell tales of days long gone. An ancient place, mythical and magic. The northern, windswept part of the island is called Trotternish, a place-name that tells of Norse invasions long before our time. The village of Dunvegan is... Continue Reading →
Funeral rites are sombre, grave and placid; at least in most European countries they are. Scotland can be a very different matter when it comes to burying the dead. Funerals are sometimes full of humour, drink and the sharing of reminiscences with a smile. In Petty, just about 7 miles outside Inverness, the mourners would... Continue Reading →
Entering Inverness from the South, the traveller passes a small, wooded hill with a peculiar shape that rises steep behind the Caledonian Canal: Tomnahurich. A large burial ground with old graves on the hill and newer ones circling it. Nothing spectacular seems to hide behind the high gates of Tomnahurich. For those who do not... Continue Reading →
The words moss and lichen made it very early into my vocabulary, I am not a native English speaker and moss and lichen seem rather unusual words for a foreigner to know. But then again, for a foreigner who delights in Scottish cemeteries, it is not such an unusual vocabulary after all, because moss and... Continue Reading →
“Bar the door and burn the church down.” murmured the MacDonald through the sound of singing, that oozed through the walls of the little church. The sun was out, the wind forcefully as ever, making the long haired raiders look even more fierce. They held their weapons ready, at the back of the church, away... Continue Reading →
Lindisfarne graveyard on Holy Island, Northumberland, symbolizes centuries of faith and history, overlooking Lindisfarne Priory’s ruins. A significant site since the 7th century, it holds the remains of islanders and clergy. The graveyard fosters reflection and connection to St Cuthbert, attracting visitors seeking inspiration and tranquility amid a sacred legacy.
Bamburgh, with its dramatic coastal setting and rich history, has revealed yet another fascinating chapter of its past. Decades of dedicated research by the Bamburgh Research Project and Durham University, in collaboration with the Bamburgh Castle Estate, have shed light on the lives of Anglo-Saxons who inhabited this area over a thousand years ago. The […]
Grace Darling, born in 1815, became famous for her courageous sea rescue of Forfarshire survivors in 1838. She passed away in 1842 and is buried in Bamburgh, where a monument marks her legacy. Celebrated in literature and art, her story inspires future generations, symbolizing bravery and compassion.
Graveyards of Scotland 
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