Greyfriars Kirkyard
In 1638 the National Covenant, one of the most significant documents in Scottish history, was signed in Greyfriars Kirk.
This document was the Scottish Presbyterian’s answer to Charles I’s religious policy which had been causing a lot of anger. Copies of the Covenant were distributed throughout Scotland and the Covenanters became the catalyst for the Bishop’s Wars of 1639 and 1640. This ultimately led to the English Civil War in 1642 and the execution of the King in 1649.
After the restoration of the monarchy with Charles II, the Covenanters found themselves on the back foot and after the Battle of Bothwell Brig in 1679 over a thousand of them found themselves in a prison in Greyfriars Kirkyard. Although some of them switched allegiance and others escaped, there were many who died or were executed here. The area where the prison stood is still here and there’s a Martyr’s Memorial in the bottom right hand corner of the Kirkyard.
Of those who survived, many were sentenced to Transportation, and a plaque next to the prison tells us that the final 257 men being transported to North America never made it that far. The ship which left Leith got wrecked off of the Orkney Islands and just 48 men survived.
I’m not sure if any of the Covenanters are buried in Greyfriars or not, but there are plenty of tombstones and mausoleums here including one to the famous architects William Adam and his son, John. Apart from the Adams family, Sir George Mackenzie is interred here, which I’m not sure is really appropriate. You see, Mr. Mackenzie, or to his adversaries, ‘Bluidy Mackenzie’, was the Lord Advocate responsible for dishing out the penalties to the Covenanters.
If you think you may want to visit Mackenzie’s mausoleum, I suggest you think again. Apparently, a lot of paranormal activity takes place here. Whether there’s any truth in all of this I don’t know, but it seems like there are plenty of witnesses to the ‘Mackenzie Poltergeist’ – including an exorcist, who supposedly died not long after his experience of ‘evil forces’.
Some of us may scoff at all this stuff, but a whole new business has sprung up around nighttime ghost tours of the Kirkyard.
Would I be happy to go on one? I’m not sure. Bear in mind this graveyard was the haunt (!) of grave robbers and Resurrection Men who supplied the medical college with ‘samples’.
Come to think of it I’m probably a prime candidate for a heart attack without inflicting this sort of thing on myself, so I think I’ll probably give it a miss. There’s enough time to find out what it’s like on the other side when the Grim Reaper comes knocking anyway. I don’t think there’s any need for me to go looking for him.
Originally posted 2018-12-05 22:49:27.
It is a fascinating place and dare I say you brought it ‘to life’ wonderfully?
Ha Ha! Good one Shey. By the way, I’ve now watched the second disc and can you tell me again where the last part of it was acted.
That was Mians Castle. This was filmed in the olden days when batteries ran out on cameras and they ran out at Camperdown House, so the guy filming it who wa sthe lead’s son, did the rest at Mains.
I wasn’t sure whether it was Mains or Blair Castle. Anyway, I enjoyed watching it and you played a good part I have to say. If you would like me to return the discs could you email me your address, and thanks for sending them to me in the first place. It sounded fun to do 🙂
Not at all. You are welcome to the discs. Lol, it was fun. and you are very kind. We never got any film of Blair Caslte. There was a clip on Radio Scotland but nothing visual. What I rememver of that day was that it started with me on Macgregor’s Gathering on a radio studio link, then rounding up half the cast who were still sleeping off the previous night’s drinking, while setting up with the light and sound crew. Then there was a toe bunching meeting with some alleged descendant..I say alleged cos as far as is known there were no descendants of Claverhouse, but it may have been of asibling, and the Duke of Atholl,… there’s a photo of the cast with him, all looking really delighted…. which some Dundee newspaper sent their photographer up to take .. Oh and I think there’s some backstage ones I took. But there’s no actual scenes shot there which was a shame cos it was in the big baronial hall and that was amazing.
I’ve pics from afterwards when we joined the procession up to the ruined church/cemetery where Claverhouse is buried and a ton of us mucking about outside after this bus load of Spanish tourists screeched to a halt, wanting photos.
Brilliant! I’ll keep the discs in that case then Shey for when you become famous 🙂
Sounds a fascinating spot! I knew about Bobby, of course, but not that much about the rest of Greyfriars’ history