Graveyard, Cramond Parish Church, Glebe Road, Cramond, Edinburgh

The graveyard of Cramond Parish Church is a historic churchyard in Edinburgh, set in the old fishing village of Cramond on the Firth of Forth. It lies off Glebe Road and wraps around the parish church on three sides, enclosed by a high stone wall.

What should you know about this place?

The graveyard belongs to a group of buildings and structures protected at Category A, Scotland's highest listing grade (listed on 14 December 1970). The listing also covers the church, the gatehouse, the gatepiers, the gates and the boundary wall. The present church dates from 1656 and replaced a medieval church that had fallen into ruin. A 15th-century tower from the earlier building was kept at its west end.

Scottish church heritage sources say the site also sits on a Roman fort established in AD 142, and that a Christian community was present here from the 6th century. People have used this spot above the mouth of the River Almond for a very long time.

Which gravestones can you see?

The earliest gravestones date from the 17th century. The oldest legible headstone is a memorial to John Stalker, who died in 1608. It is an elaborate stone carved with a crest and heraldic symbols, set into the east wall.

Along the east wall stands a row of mort-safes: walled enclosures around burial plots, closed by a locked iron gate. They guarded graves against body snatchers. In early 19th-century Edinburgh, bodies were stolen from graveyards to supply anatomy schools, and these structures are a visible reminder of that trade.

The graveyard is large. According to the Cockburn Association, it holds the grave of the first casualty of the Second World War.

Is it worth a visit?

If you are walking around Cramond, the churchyard fits easily with a look at the church and a stroll by the water. It is a quiet stop for anyone interested in Scottish history, genealogy or old funerary art. It is still a place of remembrance, so keep your voice down and respect the graves.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the graveyard? Off Glebe Road in Cramond, Edinburgh, around Cramond Kirk.

How old is it? The earliest gravestones are 17th-century, and the church site has a much longer history reaching back to the medieval period and earlier.

What are mort-safes? Walled enclosures with a locked gate that protected fresh graves from body snatchers in the 19th century.

Is the graveyard a listed monument? Yes. It is part of a Category A listed group together with the church, gates and wall.