Walk Among the Dead

These are the places where tourists usually don’t roam. They don’t realize that among the quiet and the gravestones there are a lot of interesting monuments and even architecture to see. Cemeteries are most likely not on anyone’s list when they travel abroad unless they have a few ancestors they want to visit. However, cemeteries hide the secrets of the past and even though you may think that there are shadows following you everywhere I don’t think it’s a bad idea to take a tour through a cemetery.

The idea at long last has come to the Scots. They have cemeteries that are home to a lot of ancient Scottish history. The idea is to revive historic graveyards where long-forgotten Scottish heroes rest, fascinating monuments can be discovered as well as unique and unusual carvings. It is thought to present these as places of interest to visitors. The cemeteries will be cleaned up and spruced up and ready for a look.

Also among the plans are to develop new tourist paths, wildlife projects, cultural performances and events and visits from school parties. The model is being prepared through Edinburgh’s world heritage site. Chosen are five historical cemeteries which have been on the international “risk” list for five years now. They would be run by a new graveyards trust. There will be friends groups set up for each of the graveyards – Canongate, Greyfriars, and St. Cuthbert’s Kirkyards and The New & Old Calton Burial Grounds. Kirkyards are churchyards and in days past churches were all built with a graveyard on the property where church members would be laid to rest.

These five graveyards include the final resting places for the philosopher David Hume, poet Robert Fergusson and economist Adam Smith. There are also memorials to Scottish-American soldiers who fought in the American Civil War. Covenanters killed during decades of oppression in the 17th century and a watchtower built in the 19th century to guard against body snatchers. As you see Hollywood didn’t just make-up body snatchers and there was an actual threat from them.

It would also save these cemeteries from years of bad publicity and curb unfavorable and disturbing behavior. Among the complaints of these places have been poor security, alcohol and drug abuse, rough sleepers, vandalism, and prostitution. I look at this list and my first opinion is that security of course would seem to be unnecessary at a cemetery that has been abandoned. However by not having security all of the other problems develop. Now I guess a bum and an alcoholic wouldn’t really care where they have a drink as long as they’re left alone. It is a shame though that there are people who would consider it a sport to vandalize cemeteries.

So I wish them luck to get this project going. I have had the chance to visit some graveyards with such amazing monuments and unusual surprises that it is a worthy project indeed. I also have had the displeasure to have to go by certain abandoned cemeteries and been frightened to go past because of the unfavorable individuals who might be lurking about. I wouldn’t be scared at all if I met a ghost or two because they would not threaten me. So if this works out I think it is something that other countries could consider as well. Of course, you can’t save all the cemeteries but it is a good starting point. Revival is the biggest problem and the plan to gather funds by the National Charity Archaeology Scotland has set up an “adopt a monument” scheme to raise public awareness of the nation’s historic gravestones.