Edinburgh's Old Town is my very favourite place to wander. It is so full of history. With Edinburgh having been the seat of royalty, so much of Scotland's history played out on the Royal Mile and the closes that run from it.
As well as wandering the streets and visiting the museums, I love to visit the graveyards that are in the Old Town. This week we will look at five of the Old Town cemeteries that are within an easy walk of one another.
First up is Greyfriar's Kirkyard. The kirkyard sits on the site of a former Franciscan friary. Franciscans wear grey cloaks, thus the name Greyfriar's. In 1562, it was recognized that the kirkyard at St Giles was full to overflowing, Mary, Queen of Scots granted the land that once housed the friary to be used as a graveyard. The church came after the cemetery, being established in 1620. It has seen continuous worship since and has been the witness to some of Scotland’s history, including the reading of the National Coventant, subsequently being a prison for covenanters, and perhaps best known for the story of wee Bobby, the watchman’s loyal dug.
Some major players in Scottish history are buried within the
kirkyard including:
George Heriot who was a jeweler and who left his fortune to
form a boys school. The school stands next to the kirkyard.
George MacKenzie, King’s Advocate and ruthless jailor
Architect William Adam
Publisher, Printer and Bookseller William Creech
Robert Sibbald, Royal Physician and founder of the College of Physicians
No comments:
Post a Comment