Penicuik, Midlothian

Tower of St. Kentigern's Church - dating back to c 1600's near the site of an earlier church dating back to the 1100's.

Penicuik, Midlothian

A collection of gravestones

Penicuik, Midlothian

The Sexton's tools - emblems of mortality


A very sad winged soul - emblem of immortality


Penicuik churchyard has some great headstones!

Smiling skeleton of Port Menteith

This is the happiest skeleton I have come across on a gravestone!

These carvings are on the tablestone below.

Port of Menteith tablestone

Dirleton Church, East Lothian

The earlier church in the parish was built in the 12th Century and its ruin can be found in Gullane. Permission was given to Sir Thomas Erskine to build this new church in 1612. The reason quoted was that the old kirk "is sa incommodiouslie situat beside the sea sand that the same, with the kirk yard thereof, is continewallie overblawin with sand, that nather the Kirk servis commodiouslie for the convening of the parichiners, nor yet the kirk yard for their Burial".

Ancient gravestones at Dirleton Churchyard

This stone broken in two parts (top half shown) has an inscription in Latin with some Greek words. It is thought to be for William Ferguison and his wife Helen Smyth. probably dated c 1663.

This stone is dated 1740 and the inscription is for a Janet Seton

A Green Man carving on the west side of Janet Seton's headstone. This is a pagan symbol.

Figures appear on either side of Janet Seton's headstone. here is the detail of the one on the right side (west face). A mermaid perhaps!

This imposing mural monument is situated on the east side of the church. At the top is a coat of arms. The inscription is now unreadable but is thought to belong to the Heriot family who were important in East Lothian in the 16th and 17th Centuries.

Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh

Greyfriars Kirkyard

A very large mural monument

Tweedsmuir Kirk, inside

Tweedsmuir Kirk

Tweedsmuir Kirk

One of the nicest kirkyards in the Scottish Borders

Edrom Church, Scottish Borders

The church dates back to Norman times though all that is left is the richly carved Romanesque doorway of the old parish church, now the entrance to a burial vault. An interesting gravestone is that of a tailor showing the tools of his trade, scissors and an iron.