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Tomb of John Bayne Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh

Articles, Conservation, Events, History, People, Previous Events

Unlocking the Secrets of Greyfriars

03/05/202603/05/2026 fogk.web

A Landmark Discovery

Something remarkable just happened at Greyfriars Kirkyard. On April 18th, a team of volunteers, archaeologists, and conservators achieved what hasn’t been done in living memory: lifting the massive ledger stone within the John Bayne of Pitcairlie enclosure.

The Rescue Mission

For decades, photographic records showed the stone slowly being swallowed by the earth. After carefully clearing the topsoil, the team discovered the stone had cracked under the pressure. It has now been entrusted to expert stone conservator Nic Boyes for off-site repair before its eventual return to its rightful place.

The Mystery Below

Beyond the stone itself, the team was hunting for a hidden vault. With the Pitcairlie mausoleum showing signs of settlement, understanding the ground conditions is vital for its survival.

The findings so far:

The Vault: No entrance was uncovered yet, but clear evidence of burial activity was found.
The Next Steps: While the eye couldn’t see a vault, a future Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey will map what lies beneath the surface.
The Details: Once cleaned, the ledger stone’s carvings may reveal secrets lost to time.

A Future Secured

These are small steps, but they are essential. Every discovery brings this Category A listed structure one step closer to a safe and secure future.

Two ways to stay tuned as we continue to peel back the layers of Edinburgh’s history. Please become a member of Friends of Greyfriars Kirkyard at fogk.org or join the Edinburgh World Heritage mailing list at ewht.org.uk

Supported by: the National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to the National Lottery players and the City of Edinburgh Council. Legacies in Stone: Connecting Communities with Historic Graveyards is a partnership project with Edinburgh World Heritage.

Previous Events

First Sunday May 2026

03/05/202613/05/2026 fogk.web

A chilly day saw the big coats back on, but we kept warm with some vigorous weeding. Our first task was to tidy up the Hutton burial lair so it looks its best for his upcoming anniversary. We then weeded a few other lairs, including Mary Erskine, Little & Hunter Blair.

Our Graveyard Geek session today looked at early 18th century memorials. These are a real mixed bag in terms of location, size & style compared to most 17th century examples.

Many thanks to everyone on our hard working team today.

The next First Sunday is on 7th June, we hope to see you there.

Articles, History, People

John Hope Botanist 1725 – 1786

30/04/202630/04/2026 fogk.web

This relatively modern looking burial lair towards the North West corner of Greyfriars Kirkyard was used by the Hope Family since the 17th century, but the monument there today wasn’t raised until the 19th century. Perhaps the best know member of the family buried here is John Hope, the much celebrated botanist.

Born in Edinburgh in 1725, the son of a surgeon Robert Hope. John Hope studied Medicine at Edinburgh University, then studied botany in Paris at the Jardin du Roi. Hope graduated MD from Glasgow University in 1750. In 1762, he was elected fellow of the College of Physicians in Edinburgh. Hope had a lucrative private practice in Edinburgh and was appointed physician to the Royal Infirmary. He was active on the town’s council in improving the city’s sanitation.

Hope’s life spanned the Scottish enlightenment, when Edinburgh was the place to study medicine, and all medical students had to take botany courses. John created a school for botanists after spinning off the Materia Medica (pharmacy) department of the medical school, which allowed him to specialise exclusively in botany. Hope was an excellent lecturer, with his students travelling to Edinburgh from all over the world. He was appointed as the King’s botanist for Scotland and superintendent of the Royal Garden in Edinburgh. Hope was the first person in Britain to teach the Linnaean system of taxonomy (the system of classifying groups of biological organisms). A colored etching by J. Kay from 1786, depicting John Hope in the botanic gardens.

Hope’s creation of a new botanic garden in Edinburgh in 1763 was a bold and forward looking decision, completely in step with enlightenment Edinburgh that was creating The New Town. Hope received a royal warrant granting him the funds needed to construct the new garden on Leith Walk. The site was large enough to accommodate plants collected from all over the world, through Hope’s extensive global network of both professional and hobby botanical enthusiasts. With a large greenhouse and two hothouses, the Leith Walk Botanic Garden comfortably housed plants from many different climates, where they could thrive and be studied to determine whether they had properties of value to medicine. Edinburgh has had a vibrant passion for Life Sciences ever since.

Hope was a well known & influential character around Edinburgh and featured in one of John Kay’s many cartoons.

Hope died in Edinburgh in 1786. Today a small modern grey granite stone in front of his ancestors’ memorial commemorates him.

Articles, History, People

What Secrets Lie Beneath John Bayne’s Feet

18/04/202630/04/2026 fogk.web

It was an exciting day at Greyfriars Kirkyard!

Today we got closer to learning “What secrets lie beneath John Bayne’s feet?”

It was our day to investigate one of Greyfriars Kirkyard’s most famous — yet puzzling – monuments and learn how we hope to save it for the future.The Mystery of the Bayne Ledger Stone From a bow-maker’s workshop to the King’s inner legal circle, John Bayne’s rise to ‘Writer to the Signet’ was a 17th-century success story. But did his ambition extend below ground?

The ledger stone of John Bayne’s tomb is broken. In repairing it, we have a unique opportunity to look deeper. We are investigating whether this gravestone serves as the ‘lid’ to a hidden burial vault.

This event is brought to you by Edinburgh World Heritage, the Friends of Greyfriars Kirkyard, and the City of Edinburgh Council as part of the Legacies in Stone project. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.

Here are some of the best photos I captured from the event. I’ll let one of the other committee members share what we found, and what is still to be determined (ground-penetrating radar is up next!)