Graveyard Pictures from Scotland Part II: Pictures that Have Nothing To Do With Greyfriars Bobby

I know that Halloween has come and gone, but those of you who have ever been in a poetry workshop with me know that I celebrate the macabre on a daily basis. Thus, it should not come as a surprise to any of you that I'm posting graveyard pictures, even though I should apparently be posting pictures of Christmas trees. I would think that graveyard pictures are more interesting anyway, but who knows? Really, if Tim Burton can produce the Nightmare Before Christmas during the holiday season, then I should be able to post graveyard pictures. Isn't a little early for all the current Christmas hype anyway? Whatever happened to Thanksgiving? Sorry, I digress. For those of you who don't think there should be a deadline for graveyard pictures, I am sure you will enjoy these.


I thought I'd start with a pretty graveyard picture.


Okay. Maybe the mood will be better set with a creepy skeleton carving that can be found on side of Greyfriars Church. I still have no idea why it's there. It's still pretty cool, though.


An inside look at the prison that presbyterian covenaters were sent to by the crown. It is said that their main persecutor, George "Bluidy" Mackenzie, still walks the cemetery and now harasses tourists. I, fortunately, did not encounter his ghost.



But I did encounter his burial site. It is the mausoleum, if I remember correctly.


Most of the graveyard's inhabitants are either entombed in ornate stone or have iron cages (mortsafes) around their plots. This was to protect the corpses from being dug up by resurrection men who came to the cemetery in order to find bodies for medical experimentation. Take that, Dr. Frankenstein!


On a lighter note, behind the graveyard is the private school that inspired J.K. Rowling to create the Harry Potter Series. Another trivia fact: her two daughters attend this school, and the school is in no way associated with witchcraft and wizardry.

And that, unfortunately, is the end of the graveyard pictures. Stay tuned next time for the revelation as to why this blogsite is entitled World Graffiti.