Historic Kirkyard Trails Walk in the Steps of Your Ancestors
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Historic Kirkyard Trails Walk in the steps of your ancestors www.angusheritage.com Gravestone Symbols There are many interesting symbols to Historic look out for as you walk round the different kirkyards. Symbols of mortality Kirkyard Trails G King of terrors G Father time Scottish kirkyards are a unique G Corpse part of our heritage as the last G Death head G Hour glass resting places of our ancestors. G Bones G Coffin They tell us about the life and death of G Weapons of death individuals, their beliefs and even their artistic G Sexton’s tools sensibilities through the choice of epitaphs and G Deid bell symbols. Gravestones are documents carved in G Mortcloth stone, containing a wealth of genealogical information in names, dates, places and Symbols of immortality relationships. G Winged soul G Angels Angus is home to many old parish kirkyards set in G Glory delightful rural scenery. Lochlee is a beautiful G Crown example, lying at the foot of a loch on the edge G of a National Park. Others are located in the Torches G centre of the burghs they have served for Trees, plants and flowers generations. G Angel of the resurrection Gravestones from the Victorian and Georgian eras Trade symbols are the most numerous, with some surviving 17th G Hammermen - crown and anvil century flatstones and table stones. All G Weavers - handlooms and items gravestones are in a steady state of decline and of loom equipment erosion as the kirkyards are exposed to the rigors G Bakers - bakers peels and loaves of the Scottish weather. The result is continuous G Shoemakers - shaping knife deterioration with many covered in lichen, while G Tailors - goose and scissors the faces of others have sheared off through frost G Mariners - ships action. G Farmers - ploughs and agricultural If you are interested in finding out more about equipment the people of Angus, the historic kirkyards of G Brewers/maltmen - wheat sheaves Angus have been grouped together into seven G Merchants - weighing scales and trails for you to choose from. To follow each trail the number four thoroughly will take more than one day so why G Gardeners - large shears and not enjoy a short break and discover the many flower pots other attractions on offer in Angus. Biblical There has never been a better time to enjoy G the delights of an historic kirkyard, and to Adam and Eve G walk in the steps of your ancestors. Abraham sacrificing Isaac 1 Sidlaw Kirkyards G Liff G Fowlis Easter G Lundie G Newtyle G Aucherhouse G Tealing G Murroes Fowlis Easter Church The Sidlaw area of Angus is to the north of Dundee. Liff Church was built in 1839 and the churchyard enjoys a lovely rural atmosphere. Fowlis Easter kirkyard retains a market cross while the church has rare Pre- Reformation painted wall scenes, a rood screen and a decorated aumbry. Lundie kirkyard is a short drive from Fowlis Easter and is set in an idyllic rural location. The kirkyard houses a unique Biblical stone showing David Ritchie, Lundie Abraham sacrificing Isaac on the stone of John Ritchie. The family burial Auchterhouse kirkyard has panoramic ground of the Duncan’s of views of the Sidlaw Hills and Kinpurnie Camperdown occupies the area at the Hill. The church was re-built in 1775 end of the church. and features an interesting bell tower accessed from an outside stair. Earlier Newtyle Church was built in 1870 and gothic stonework has been re-used in is the third one on the site. Many of the kirkyard gates. There are a number the gravestones were re-used as of good stones within the churchyard, pavements in the 1960s. with many stacked along the wall. These include a well carved pair of Resurrection angels waking a skeleton on Judgement Day. A short drive away is Tealing. The 1808 church, now closed, incorporates earlier carved stones in its walls. At Murroes Church, the north aisle of the medieval church was retained in the Newtyle Church new church of 1843 as a burial vault. Barry kirkyard contains the remains of 2 Thomas Louson, the man who legend tells us founded Carnoustie in 1790 G Monifieth after a particularly good dream. G Kirkton of Panbride kirkyard, with great views Monikie over the sea, contains a number of G Barry large stones showing full length G Panbride people. The War Memorial is also in G Carmyllie Monikie Church the kirkyard. Monifieth kirkyard is centrally located Barry and Panbride both have versions and features the gravestone of the of a stone designed for young girls Low family who created the foundry, shown standing under a crown of the basis of wealth and jobs. righteousness. Kirkton of Monikie contains some rare A short drive away is Carmyllie. The examples of stones showing men at kirkyard has a number of trade stones work at their handlooms, counting featuring the emblems of shoemakers, money in their shop or working at a weavers, gardeners and a tailor. forge. Look out for the recurrent use of a flaming heart symbol, the favourite symbol of a local mason. Monikie also has a mort house which was used to confound the plans of early 19th century body snatchers. Rescobie Church is set on the banks of 3 a loch and the impressive wall monument mounted into the church wall is well worth a look. G Forfar G Restenneth Priory Dunnichen has many stones of note G Rescobie including a number of agricultural G Dunnichen scenes, whilst Kirkden Church is now a G Kirkden ruin. The church bell of 1676 has been G Guthrie Rescobie Church set in the wall. G Aberlemno Forfar kirkyard is built into a steep hill Guthrie church has a medieval aisle, with a good number of 17th century now entirely separate from the main flatstones still visible. One of these church. Look out for the particularly stones commemorates Bailie George voluptuous winged soul. Wood who features in the story of the Aberlemno kirkyard contains a Forfar witches. spectacular Pictish stone with three The ruins of Restenneth Priory house a more nearby, in addition to an little known royal burial where Prince impressive array of flatstones propped John, the infant son of Robert the up against a wall. Look closely for the Bruce, was buried before the high altar, John Dalgettie’s stone of 1697 which a flatstone of a priest and a crude shows a crude King of Terrors pursuing gravestone incised with the date 1585. a victim with death’s dart. gravestone features crossed fish which 4 depicts God in His Glory. Many Pictish stones found on the site are on display G Arbirlot in the adjacent museum. G Arbroath Abbey Inverkeilor kirkyard has suffered from G St Vigeans exposure to the elements but many G Inverkeilor interesting stones can still be viewed. G Lunan Some are built into the church walls Arbroath Abbey and there are impressive burial plots of Arbirlot Church is set by the Elliot local landowners such as the Raitt’s of Water in a pleasant rural setting. Anniston. There is also a delightful Many of the Webster family of linen Victorian glass dome covering an manufacturers are buried here. arrangement of marble flowers and birds. Arbroath Abbey contains over 1,400 gravestones and is the final resting place Lunan Church was erected in 1844 of its founder King William the Lion. and is now a privately owned house, however a church has occupied the St Vigeans kirkyard sits on an unusual site since the 13th century. cone shaped hill. One delightful James Watson, Montrose Maryton kirkyard enjoys superb views 5 over Montrose Basin. One stone of note belonged to a gardener as shown G Montrose by the shears, while there are also G Rossie Island some nice examples of winged souls. G Maryton Access to the Churchyard is through G Farnell the drive of the private house. G Dun Farnell kirkyard features some stones The kirkyard of Montrose Parish with well carved trade symbols. The Church is now bisected by a Georgian church is a beautiful Gothic example path. Many of the once splendid wall of early 19th century architecture. memorials of the town’s elite have The ruined old parish church of Dun been severely eroded. However, a has a number of very old 17th century coped stone showing Father Time with table tombs with interesting motifs. his scythe and a cast iron marker erected by a plumber are amongst the many stones still visible. Rossie Island kirkyard, an island until the Inch burn was filled in during the early 1970s, once served the village of Ferryden. The kirkyard contains many stones bearing ship emblems. In the centre is the ruin of the old chapel which served the community for generations. House of Dun Menmuir is a pretty kirkyard with a 6 variety of nice winged souls and an unusual stone of man chewing on a G Brechin Cathedral chain, while Tannadice has a small G Pert number of old stones, set by the river. G Stracathro Oathlaw kirkyard is accessed by a G Menmuir rough track and on the side wall is a G Tannadice Pre-Reformation graveslab of Richard G Oathlaw Oathlaw Church de Brechin, a priest. G Edzell Brechin Cathedral is the mother church All that remains of the ancient church of Angus with a Celtic Round Tower of Edzell is the aisle now known as the dating back to the 11th century. A large Lindsay Vault, adjacent to Edzell stone to the left of the Channonry Castle. In 1818 the walls of the old Wynd gate commemorates the victims church were dismantled to provide of the 17th century plague.