New Friends group for historic Canongate Kirkyard

A group of volunteers interested in preserving Edinburgh’s historic Canongate Kirkyard has established a Friends of Canongate Kirkyard group which aims to find out more about those buried at Canongate, as well as restoring the memorials and discovering more about the wildlife habitat around the kirk.

Canongate Kirkyard is on the site of Canongate Kirk on Edinburgh's Royal Mile. The kirk was brought into use in 1691, with the first burials following soon after. It is also home to the Edinburgh Memorial, an eight-metre tall cross erected to commemorate soldiers who died at Edinburgh Castle between 1692 and 1880.

Among those buried on the site are:

• Economist Adam Smith (1723-1790)
• Composer John Frederick Lampe (1703-1751)
• Poet Robert Fergusson (1750-1774)
• Surgeon Benjamin Bell (1749-1806)
• Publisher John Ballantyne (1774-1821)

The Friends of Canongate Kirkyard will be supported as part of the Edinburgh World Heritage Edinburgh Graveyard Project and volunteers plan to work with Edinburgh City Council to improve the appearance of the kirkyard and increase awareness of the burial site with both Edinburgh residents and visitors to the city.

A new interpretation project will also focus on the Kirkyard, highlighting the stories behind some of the burials to reveal the distinctive history of the Canongate Burgh, such as its royal connections, local trades, international connections, and the Scottish Enlightenment.

Speaking on the Edinburgh World Heritage website, volunteer Eric Drake said: 'I live in the Canongate and have a keen interest in the local environment and history so becoming a Friend of the Kirkyard was a no-brainer. The Kirkyard is an amazing resource both in terms of what is in it and the view from it to Calton Hill. Our researches are turning up some amazing stories about people commemorated there and I hope we can use these stories to introduce many more people to this unique environment.'

For more on the Friends of Canongate Kirkyard, visit the Edinburgh World Heritage website.

(Memorial photo copyright Scrabbleship1; landscape copyright Kim Traynor)