Morningside Cemetery

Morningside Cemetery is a Victorian public cemetery in the Morningside district of south Edinburgh. It opened in 1878 and is still used for burials today. For visitors it is a quiet place to wander among old headstones, with a few graves of people known from the history of science and literature.

Where is the cemetery and how is it laid out?

The site covers about 13 acres between Balcarres Street on its north side and Morningside Drive to the south. It was founded on the edge of the city of the time, but Edinburgh soon grew around it, and houses and flats now surround it. Developments on several sides have shrunk its boundaries compared with the original plot. One reminder of the old layout is a pair of gate piers still standing at the former entrance on Belhaven Terrace.

Who founded it and who looks after it?

The Metropolitan Cemetery Company created the cemetery in 1878. Sources describe it as the first of a new generation of cemeteries set up on the outskirts of cities. Edinburgh City Council took ownership in 1992. For safety reasons the council has laid some monuments flat, so in places you will see slabs lying on the grass rather than upright headstones.

Whose graves are worth looking for?

• Alison "Cummy" Cunningham (1822-1913), the nurse of Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island. Her grave lies near the Balcarres Street side and features on some walking routes following the writer's footsteps.
• Sir Edward Appleton, the English physicist who won the Nobel Prize in 1947.
• James Geikie (1839-1915), a geologist.
• Several notable women are buried here too, including Scotland's first female surgeon.

The cemetery also holds 81 war graves, cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Is it still in use and can you visit?

Yes, it remains an active cemetery, and the city council keeps burial records from 1878 to the present. Behave as you would in any cemetery: keep voices low, respect mourners, and do not walk over graves. Take photographs discreetly and not near ceremonies in progress.

Frequently asked questions

When was Morningside Cemetery established? In 1878, by the Metropolitan Cemetery Company.

Is anyone linked to Robert Louis Stevenson buried here? Yes, his nurse Alison "Cummy" Cunningham.

Who owns the cemetery? Edinburgh City Council, since 1992.

Are there war graves? Yes, 81 of them.

How big is the site? About 13 acres, between Balcarres Street and Morningside Drive.

Is it a good stop on a walk around Morningside? Yes, if you enjoy local history and Victorian headstones. It is not a ticketed attraction with organised tours, just a working cemetery you can quietly walk around.