Events – Friends of Greyfriars Kirkyard

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.

Previous Events

First Sunday April 2026

05/04/202630/04/2026 Mark Hatton

Today’s First Sunday saw us facing a strong & bitterly cold wind, with frequent rain showers. Never the less we did what we had to do in the Kirkyard, before making a beeline for the relative warmth & shelter of the museum. But most of the tourists in town today had the same idea, so the place was heaving. We escaped the crowds by ascending to the rooftop terrace where we got a rather good view back over the Kirkyard.

The next First Sunday is on 3rd May, when it will surely no longer be wintery weather. Hope to see you there.

Previous Events

Activity and Progress in the Kirkyard

26/03/202628/04/2026 Mark Hatton

So today was a busy day of activity & progress in the Kirkyard. Lesley & I started by delivering a full 2 hour tour for the Govan Stones Project. 18 of them travelled over from Glasgow to learn about the Kirkyard. They were all lovely, enthusiastic and knowledgeable people who seemed delighted with their tour.

We then grabbed a quick coffee before meeting Maddie from Edinburgh University who is doing a study of the Mackenzie Mausoleum. She loved getting up close to the mausoleum and we loved learning from Maddie about her project.

We then met Andy & Kevin from Edinburgh Bereavement Services who we assisted fit a new lamppost in the Kirkyard.

We then helped Andy & Kevin off load and install three new seats in the Kirkyard. Two of these seats have been funded by donations from an American Member of the Friends (who is an ancestor of Lord Warriston) and the the third is funded from the sale of our books. The seats are positioned by the Covenanters Prison, by the Grassmarket steps and in the west yard. They look great and should give people an opportunity to sit, rest and enjoy the Kirkyard for many years to come.

So a busy but very satisfying day.

Friends of Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh Volunteers

Previous Events

First Sunday March 2026

01/03/202616/03/2026 Mark Hatton

So we were very busy litter picking, bin emptying, fence mending and path clearing today in the Kirkyard. After the clean up we went looking for gravestones which speak about people who went to work in India and the West Indies.

Friends of Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh Path Before — This part of the tarmac in front of the Kirk has been getting very muddy in the winter rains. So we set about clearing up the mud and putting it back on to a flower bed. This is the BEFORE shot.

Friends of Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh Path After — This is the AFTER shot, do you agree it makes quite a difference ? Now the kerb is clear to see, vehicles will hopefully be less likely to drive on to the grass, which pushes soil and mud out on to the tarmac.

Greyfriars Kirkyard First Sunday Volunteer Work

Previous Events

First Sunday February 2026

01/02/202603/02/2026 Mark Hatton

The mission for today was a thorough litterpick and a concentrated buddleia bash. A large buddleia bush has self seeded along the north wall. This produces many 1,000’s of seeds that blow on to the monuments from which germinates many invasive buddleia plants, whose roots force the stonework apart, damaging the structures. This buddleia bush had to go, to remove this seed source. Winter is the best time to do this as frosts should hopefully deter the root from regrowing. A determined effort took the bush down to ground level, then a couple of dozen copper nails were bashed in to further inhibit new growth. Thanks to all of the team who helped out today. And thanks to Edinburgh Bereavement Services who have agreed to collect the carefully bagged flower heads and cuttings tomorrow for safe disposal at Mortonhall.

Our next First Sunday is the 1st March 2026. All welcome to join us at 1pm meeting at the main gate.

This was the buddleia bush this morning.

And this is what it looks like after a very thorough haircut.

Previous Events

First Sunday January 2026

04/01/202603/02/2026 Stuart Robins

KIRKYARD SPRING CLEANING

Today’s First Sunday focused on cleaning out leaves and litter from the locked lairs on the South side of the Kirkyard. A dedicated team of Friends of Greyfriars Kirkyard braved the bitterly cold temperatures, keeping warm by brushing and bagging multiple huge black sacks. We have arranged for Edinburgh Bereavement Services (EBS) to pick up these bags on Monday Morning. Thanks to everyone who helped today, the lairs certainly look much better for it. And thanks to EBS for taking the bags away.

Our next First Sunday is February 1st, so hope to see you there.

1679 Chiesley Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh

Articles, Events, History

Greyfriars Memorials in Date Order 1606 to 1691

07/12/202503/02/2026 Mark Hatton

These images serve to illustrate the development of the memorials over time. It also shows the extravagance of the memorials raised in 1610’s to the 1630’s – no doubt due to the prosperity of that period, which is a marked contrast to the relative paucity of memorials raised between 1640 and 1667 – no doubt due to War, Plague, Occupation and Economic Depression in Edinburgh during those decades.

The date order is based mostly on the year of first death, except for Hope where the death was 150 years before the memorial and Little where the death was 100 years before the memorial.

1606 John Jackson Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1606: John Jackson

1610 George Heriot Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1610: George Heriot

1610 Rae Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1610: Rae

1612 Dobie Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1612: Dobie

1614 Naysmith Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1614: Naysmith

1614 Laing Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1614: Laing

1615 Gilbert Primrose Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1615: Gilbert Primrose

1615 Morrison Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1615: Morrison

1616 Miller Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1616: Miller

1617 Harlay Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1617: Harlay

1619 Bishop Coupar Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1619: Bishop Coupar

1626 Dennistoun Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1626: Dennistoun

1629 Byres of Coates Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1629: Byres of Coates

1633 Foulis Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1633: Foulis

1635 Bannatyne Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1635: Bannatyne

1636 Henryson Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1636: Henryson

1641 Trotter Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1641: Trotter

1644 Akinhead Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1644: Akinhead

1646 Alexander Henderson Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1646: Alexander Henderson

1646 Sir Thomas Hope Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1646: Sir Thomas Hope (although memorial dates to 1800’s)

1649 Murray Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1649: Murray

1656 Provist Tod Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1656: Provist Tod

1667 Mylne Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1667: Mylne

1667 Douglas (Hatter) Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1667: Douglas (Hatter)

1672 Bethune Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1672: Bethune

1674 Kinloch Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1674: Kinloch

1675 Chalmers Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1675: Chalmers

1676 Borthwick Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1676: Borthwick

1676 Cunninghame Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1676: Cunninghame

1679 Kincaid Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1679: Kincaid

1681 Bayne Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1681: Bayne

1681 Carstares (Oswald) Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1681: Carstares (Oswald)

1683 Little Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1683: Little

1686 Sharp Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1686: Sharp

1686 Robertson Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1686: Robertson

1688 McCulloch Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1688: McCulloch

1691 Mackenzie Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh — 1691: Mackenzie

Tailour family memorial stone, Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh

Articles, Events, History, People

The Tailour Family Memorial Stone

19/06/202503/02/2026 Mark Hatton

There are countless tales to be found, hiding in plain sight around Greyfriars Kirkyard. Here is just one more example.

On the North Wall of the West Yard of the Kirkyard is a memorial stone for the Tailour Family. Included on the inscription are the words :

“Queely Davies, the third son of Doctor Tailour, a Lieutenant in the 92nd Regiment, was lost in the Glorieux when that ship foundered at sea in the fatal gale of September 1792”.

This short inscription opens up a story of the worst ever loss of life incurred by the British Navy & Merchant Navy in a single storm. HMS Glorieux was a French naval ship that had, together with other French ships, recently been captured by the British in the Caribbean. These ships were all in poor condition and there was a serious shortage of sailors to crew them. But the fateful decision was made to sail these ships back to Britain in a flotilla, during hurricane season. They sailed up the East coast of North America then on reaching Newfoundland they struck out across the Atlantic. On 17 September 1782, the fleet was caught in an extremely violent storm off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Most of the ships were unable to prevent the storm ripping off their masts and bursting open their weakened hulls. In total almost 3,500 British sailors drowned and a dozen ships were lost in the infamous storm, including HMS Glorieux on which Lieutenant Queely Davies Tailour was sailing.

Other members of the same family died at Calcutta in India and St Vincent in the Caribbean. The 18th century was an age in which so many Scottish people spread out across the world, seeking to advance themselves by serving in the armed forces or working in overseas ventures, where they met their end so never to return to their native land.