Edinburgh’s cemeteries provide both a glimpse into the past alongside breathtaking views of the thriving city. It was common practice in the last few hundred years to include occupations on tombstones and markers as well as investing in family plots. This shares with the modern day visitor an idea of what their lives looked like even hundreds of years later.
Or you can just take a beautiful meandering stroll through a quiet spot in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh’s long history means it has plenty of cemeteries for the admiring visitor scattered throughout the city, each with its own history and unique offerings. Whether you’re looking for a bit of history, a quiet walk, or seeking out the final resting place of someone in particular, Edinburgh’s cemeteries are ready and waiting for you.
Greyfriars Kirkyard
Okay, I’ll be honest I am getting this one out of the way first on purpose. By far the most well known of the cemeteries on this list (mostly due to she-who-must-not-be-named), Greyfriars definitely earned a top spot outside of the influence of a certain children’s book series.
When entering through the main gate, the first thing you see is the burial site and memorial for Greyfriars Bobby. Bobby was a Skye Terrier who famously spent 14 years guarding his deceased owner’s grave in the 19th century. He was a fixture of the neighborhood and crowds would gather to see him during his watch. When the one o’clock gun would ring out, Bobby would head to his lunchtime meal at a local restaurant. In 1867, a new by-law passed that required all dogs to be licensed or “destroyed”. Because of Bobby’s renown, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh gave him a license and left him to continue his guard. His collar, granted to him by the Lord Provost, is on display in the Museum of Edinburgh.
The kirkyard sits on a slight hill leading down to Grassmarket and has a wonderful view of the castle and the Royal Mile through the trees. A piece of the Flodden Wall runs through the kirkyard to emphasize its historical reverence. The cemetery itself is a nice blend of headstones and family plots/mausoleums along the walls. It really is a lovely walk in the middle of the city.
The Downsides to Fame
However, it does get crowded because of its notoriety. There’s also a lot of people coming just to find certain names which gives a certain stress to the atmosphere I tend to avoid in cemeteries. The visitors that flooded in after the-series-that-haunts-these-streets actually harmed the land. Too many people were walking off the paths, especially during rainy weather, and several people actually graffitied the headstones.
On my last visit, I saw that the caretakers of the cemetery worked to preserve the burial grounds. They undid the damage done and put in measures to prevent more from happening. Please do your part to ensure no more harm comes to this resting place.
Don’t get me wrong, by no means am I saying to avoid Greyfriars Kirkyard. It’s popular for a reason and is a lovely spot to take a breather in the city. Just make sure you’re viewing Greyfriars for what it actually is, instead just checking something off a list!
Dean Cemetery
Dean Cemetery is a fairly large cemetery between the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and Dean Village. This cemetery has a wide range of styles and years that provide a unique visiting experience. Dean has the widest time range of all of Edinburgh’s cemeteries (from the 2020s to as early as the 1600s).
Dean Cemetery consists of two big walled areas with plentiful paths, occasional memorial obelisks, and benches. It’s located at the top of a hill so you can look over the Leith and over to central Edinburgh. There are Celtic knots galore! The headstones and memorials had more creative styles than many of the others. Different trees are scattered throughout which made it a fascinating spot to wander through.
I also noticed the most family plots here. Along the walls especially, there were plenty of plots holding several generations all together. I even saw one that held family members starting in the 1800s to now!
This cemetery also acts as a great connector from the modern art museum area down to Leith walk. From there you can complete a nice half day itinerary to Dean Village and Stockbridge. There’s two entrances – one at the back of Modern Art 2 and the other next to the little church along Dean Path. This makes it easy to wind your way through between one stop and the next.
Old Calton Cemetery
I honestly don’t know how I missed this one for so long. I walked by it so many times! Set along Waterloo Place, the exterior is a tall stone wall – which is probably why I never noticed it. Until one day, I passed by the open gate and saw some headstones and decided to head in.
The Calton cemeteries have little informative signs and placards near the entrances that are a huge plus from me. It gives a little history about the cemetery and highlights some notable figures and, in the case of Old Calton, monuments and memorials of note. In 1819, the construction of Waterloo Place meant part of the cemetery would be turned into a road. Edinburgh decided to move the burials displaced by this new road to the New Calton Burial Ground down the road.
The cemetery sits about 15 feet above street level for some great views. You can look both back at Calton Hill and over Waverley to the Royal Mile. It’s also home to iconic pieces of skyline that, before, I couldn’t figure out where they came from. Including a statue of Abraham Lincoln and the only memorial for the American Civil War outside of American soil to honor the Scottish people who fought and died across the ocean.
There’s an orphan plot across the street (directions were a little confusing, but yes it is the gate with garbage trolleys out front). To clarify, this isn’t a plot for orphans. This name refers to the plot being separated from the rest when the new roads were constructed. Honestly, the best thing about this plot is the view of the Old Calton Cemetery. It was rather small with only a few remaining headstones. Though, one of them belongs to the creator and advocate for deaf schools in Edinburgh.
New Calton Burial Ground
I mean wow. By far the most spectacular of Edinburgh’s cemeteries. Don’t make the mistake of missing this one.
The New Calton Burial Ground (as the name implies) is an extension or replacement of the Old Calton cemetery from when some of that original land needed to be excavated for new roads. That means you’ll spot a few markers that mention Old Calton as the original resting place before being moved here. That may sound like a bad thing but honestly…New Calton is such a stunner, I may be so bold as to say they got the better deal of things.
This cemetery is a decently large plot of land situated on a hill between the Royal Mile and Calton Hill (more or less) with stunning views of Holyroodhouse, parliament, the Royal Mile, and Arthur’s Seat. You can even see the North Sea on a clear day! It was by no means empty, but I ran into far fewer explorers here than I did at the more central spots.
In addition to the views, New Calton holds quite a few historic gems. One of the last remaining original lampposts remains here so you can see how Edinburgh used to be lit before electricity. An iconic watch tower sits to one side overseeing the burial ground. This highlights the time when body snatchers were out in droves to provide medical schools with enough cadavers.
There are two entrances: one is a stone’s throw from the Royal Mile, right near Holyroodhouse on Calton Road and the other at the top that leads you to the Robert Burns memorial that overlooks the Royal Mile. Follow Regent Road up and you’ll find yourself at Waterloo Place (aka Old Calton cemetery and an entrance to Calton Hill). The entire burial ground is on a slant, so be aware if that may be an issue for you. From the top entrance, there is a fairly even path along the top to enjoy the views without steps or steep inclines.
St Cuthbert’s Kirkyard
The most visible cemetery when you’re exploring New and Old Town Edinburgh, St Cuthbert’s Kirkyard sits at the base of Edinburgh Castle and marks the end of Princes Street Gardens. There are two active places of worship here – Parish Church of St Cuthbert’s and St. John’s Scottish Episcopal Church. Combined with its central location, makes this a very active area.
Towering over you as you explore is Edinburgh Castle and the steep lava rock it sits upon. I highly recommend hitting this spot at sunset to see Edinburgh Castle lit up golden and majestic. This kirkyard has a surprising duality between the medieval headstones, churchs, and imposing castle and the bustle of the city from a few major roads surrounding it, the train line running under it, and a parking garage buffering one side. Depending on which way you look, you can either be sent back in time or brought firmly to the present.
St Cuthbert’s Kirkyard provides an escape and moment of reflection in the city center for any visitors. Whether or not you go inside, you will likely still see this cemetery in your explorations from the streets, the train, or from above. This is definitely one of Edinburgh’s most unique cemeteries and is worth at least a wander through if you’re passing between Grassmarket and Princes Street.
Canongate Kirk
On the smaller side, Canongate Kirk can at first appear sparse and lackluster. However, this kirkyard holds some surprising gems and shouldn’t be dismissed too soon. At the heart of Canongate, this kirk truly gives the feeling of being the center of history. There’s no forgetting that you’re in a city because it’s buffeted on most sides by buildings with Calton Hill overhead.
Despite its quaint appearance, Canongate Kirk is the resting place of several significant figures. Adam Smith, author of The Wealth of Nations, is buried here, along with Agnes Maclehose (the ‘Clarinda’ of Robert Burns’ love poems), and Scottish poet Robert Fergusson. Fergusson was close with Burns and you can read the epitaph Burns wrote for his friend on his gravestone – which Burns paid for!
There’s an information board near the entrance that helps you know who you can find in Canongate Kirk and where. Despite being smack in the heart of Edinburgh’s historic area, Canongate often gets overlooked in favor of the bigger and more impressive cemeteries around. Don’t let looks fool you though, Canongate Kirk offers plenty of historical significance and views from below of Calton Hill and Waterloo Place.
If you want to be prepared for your next trip to Edinburgh, check out my Edinburgh City Guide. If history and the mention of the National Gallery of Modern Art intrigued you, don’t miss my guide to Edinburgh’s free museums! Will you be adding Edinburgh’s cemeteries to your next itinerary? What about a city ghost tour? Let me know in the comments below!
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