Friends of Warriston Cemetery
@fowarristoncem.bsky.social
Friends of Warriston Cemetery was founded in 2013 to safeguard the heritage of the first garden cemetery in Edinburgh. We always welcome new volunteers. www.friendsofwarristoncemetery.com
We recently had an overseas request from to locate a gravestone. It took two visits to find it as it it was completely hidden inside years of ivy growth & was subsumed into a tree. Two hours of cutting back thick ivy strands eventually revealed the stone. #Edinburgh #Gravestones #Cemeteries
November 18, 2025 at 9:37 AM
We recently had an overseas request from to locate a gravestone. It took two visits to find it as it it was completely hidden inside years of ivy growth & was subsumed into a tree. Two hours of cutting back thick ivy strands eventually revealed the stone. #Edinburgh #Gravestones #Cemeteries
We are continuing to re-establish the concentric circular paths in Section O & one of our lovely new volunteers has been tackling this path & has cleared around this beautiful celtic cross gravestone. #Edinburgh #Volunteering #FriendsOfWarristonCemetery #GardenCemetery #Taphophile
November 18, 2025 at 9:30 AM
We are continuing to re-establish the concentric circular paths in Section O & one of our lovely new volunteers has been tackling this path & has cleared around this beautiful celtic cross gravestone. #Edinburgh #Volunteering #FriendsOfWarristonCemetery #GardenCemetery #Taphophile
#31DaysOfGraves Day 31: Memento mori (Latin for "remember (that you have) to die"); symbols or tropes acting as a reminder of the inevitability of death.The most common motif is a skull, but other motifs include a coffin, hourglass or wilting flowers to signify the impermanence of life. #Edinburgh
October 31, 2025 at 10:03 AM
#31DaysOfGraves Day 31: Memento mori (Latin for "remember (that you have) to die"); symbols or tropes acting as a reminder of the inevitability of death.The most common motif is a skull, but other motifs include a coffin, hourglass or wilting flowers to signify the impermanence of life. #Edinburgh
#31DaysOfGraves Day 30 Colour. Changing colours and crunchy leaves make for a perfect Autumn walk in Warriston. #Edinburgh #Autumn #WarristonCemetery
October 30, 2025 at 11:08 AM
#31DaysOfGraves Day 30 Colour. Changing colours and crunchy leaves make for a perfect Autumn walk in Warriston. #Edinburgh #Autumn #WarristonCemetery
#31DaysofGraves Day 29: Occupation. One of my favourite things in Warriston is the multitude of interesting (& some now obselete) occupations listed on stones. If you would like to see more & are on Facebook, we have a photo album of about 180 different professions.
www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...
www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...
October 29, 2025 at 10:24 AM
#31DaysofGraves Day 29: Occupation. One of my favourite things in Warriston is the multitude of interesting (& some now obselete) occupations listed on stones. If you would like to see more & are on Facebook, we have a photo album of about 180 different professions.
www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...
www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...
#31DaysofGraves Day 28: Column. Recently repaired stone columns on the family vault of Adam Black FRSE (1784-1874), Scottish publisher & politician. He founded the A & C Black publishing company & published the 7th, 8th & 9th editions of the Encyclopædia Britannica. #Edinburgh #Publishing #FRSE
October 28, 2025 at 11:11 AM
#31DaysofGraves Day 28: Column. Recently repaired stone columns on the family vault of Adam Black FRSE (1784-1874), Scottish publisher & politician. He founded the A & C Black publishing company & published the 7th, 8th & 9th editions of the Encyclopædia Britannica. #Edinburgh #Publishing #FRSE
#31DaysofGraves Day 27 - Tree. This particular tree is always the harbinger of change in Warriston. I have photographed it over & over as it's always the first tree to change the colour of its leaves & then drop them. #Trees #Edinburgh #Seasons
October 27, 2025 at 9:56 AM
#31DaysofGraves Day 27 - Tree. This particular tree is always the harbinger of change in Warriston. I have photographed it over & over as it's always the first tree to change the colour of its leaves & then drop them. #Trees #Edinburgh #Seasons
#31DaysOfGraves Day 26 - Figure. "In loving memory of Elizabeth Charlotte who died 2nd March 1870 aged 15 months, and Ada Isabella who died 27th January 1883 in her 16th year. Children of Andrew Hugh Turnbull and Margaret Lothian Black." #Edinburgh #WarristonCemetery
October 26, 2025 at 10:48 AM
#31DaysOfGraves Day 26 - Figure. "In loving memory of Elizabeth Charlotte who died 2nd March 1870 aged 15 months, and Ada Isabella who died 27th January 1883 in her 16th year. Children of Andrew Hugh Turnbull and Margaret Lothian Black." #Edinburgh #WarristonCemetery
#31DaysofGraves Day 25: Graveside Ornament. As it's a Victorian cemetery with very few new burials or interments, Warriston doesn't typically have many graveside ornaments. However this Grandad mug is particularly touching. #Warriston #Grandad #Edinburgh
October 25, 2025 at 3:54 PM
#31DaysofGraves Day 25: Graveside Ornament. As it's a Victorian cemetery with very few new burials or interments, Warriston doesn't typically have many graveside ornaments. However this Grandad mug is particularly touching. #Warriston #Grandad #Edinburgh
#31DaysOfGraves Day 24: Unique animal. This delightful Skye terrier is hidden on the back of the grave of Scottish landscape painter Horatio McCulloch RSA (1805-1867), & was carved by David Watson Stephenson (1842-1904). (McCulloch portrait by Hill & Adamson.) #Edinburgh #SkyeTerrier #HillAndAdamson
October 24, 2025 at 10:34 AM
#31DaysOfGraves Day 24: Unique animal. This delightful Skye terrier is hidden on the back of the grave of Scottish landscape painter Horatio McCulloch RSA (1805-1867), & was carved by David Watson Stephenson (1842-1904). (McCulloch portrait by Hill & Adamson.) #Edinburgh #SkyeTerrier #HillAndAdamson
#31DaysofGraves Day 23: Cross. Warriston is filled with crosses so I thought I'd focus specifically on Celtic ones. The Celtic cross is a form of ringed cross, a Christian cross featuring a nimbus or ring, that emerged in Ireland and Britain in the Early Middle Ages. #Edinburgh #CelticCross
October 23, 2025 at 9:17 AM
#31DaysofGraves Day 23: Cross. Warriston is filled with crosses so I thought I'd focus specifically on Celtic ones. The Celtic cross is a form of ringed cross, a Christian cross featuring a nimbus or ring, that emerged in Ireland and Britain in the Early Middle Ages. #Edinburgh #CelticCross
We have an abundance of brambles that visitors regularly pick! They've been made into jam, pies and gin. And also gone straight into mouths.
October 22, 2025 at 2:30 PM
We have an abundance of brambles that visitors regularly pick! They've been made into jam, pies and gin. And also gone straight into mouths.
#31DaysofGraves Day 22: Landscape. Warriston Cemetery opened in Edinburgh in 1843. Now occupying 20 acres of lush, rolling green space, it was the first garden cemetery in Edinburgh, and drew comparisons to Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. #Edinburgh #GardenCemetery #GreenSpace
October 22, 2025 at 2:20 PM
#31DaysofGraves Day 22: Landscape. Warriston Cemetery opened in Edinburgh in 1843. Now occupying 20 acres of lush, rolling green space, it was the first garden cemetery in Edinburgh, and drew comparisons to Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. #Edinburgh #GardenCemetery #GreenSpace
#31DaysOfGraves Day 21: Bronze. I initially cropped the carved words on first image before I realised that Catherine Birnie was also included in the bronze medallion, overshadowed by her husband. Two of their sons became noted sculptors & one a noted architect. No further record of Catherine's life.
October 21, 2025 at 11:57 AM
#31DaysOfGraves Day 21: Bronze. I initially cropped the carved words on first image before I realised that Catherine Birnie was also included in the bronze medallion, overshadowed by her husband. Two of their sons became noted sculptors & one a noted architect. No further record of Catherine's life.
#31DaysofGraves Day 20: Wreath. This is just a tiny fraction of the wreaths carved onto gravestones at Warriston - it's possibly the most common symbol found here. #Edinburgh #Cemeteries #Taphophile #Wreath #RemembranceDay
October 20, 2025 at 11:00 AM
#31DaysofGraves Day 20: Wreath. This is just a tiny fraction of the wreaths carved onto gravestones at Warriston - it's possibly the most common symbol found here. #Edinburgh #Cemeteries #Taphophile #Wreath #RemembranceDay
We will be holding our annual Service of Remembrance at 9.30am on Sunday 9th November 2025. We are very grateful to the Rev Matthew Bicket of Inverleith St Serf’s Church who will be leading this short Service of Remembrance at the Cross of Sacrifice. All are welcome. #Edinburgh #RemebranceSunday
October 19, 2025 at 9:04 AM
We will be holding our annual Service of Remembrance at 9.30am on Sunday 9th November 2025. We are very grateful to the Rev Matthew Bicket of Inverleith St Serf’s Church who will be leading this short Service of Remembrance at the Cross of Sacrifice. All are welcome. #Edinburgh #RemebranceSunday
#31DaysOFGraves Day 19: Social group. James Dalrymple, an unmarried upholsterer, died aged 25 of sudden heart failure, having developed heart disease from an earlier bout of rheumatic fever. The Dean Cricket Club is no longer in existence. #Edinburgh #Cricket #EdinburghCricket
October 19, 2025 at 8:21 AM
#31DaysOFGraves Day 19: Social group. James Dalrymple, an unmarried upholsterer, died aged 25 of sudden heart failure, having developed heart disease from an earlier bout of rheumatic fever. The Dean Cricket Club is no longer in existence. #Edinburgh #Cricket #EdinburghCricket
#31DaysOfGraves Day 18 - Mistake. So far this is the only stone carving error I've found here. There's nothing to confirm it, but presumably Marion Brindle (1817-1881) had a spelling mistake in her first name and the stone mason had to carve out a chunk of stone to correct it. #Edinburgh #StoneMason
October 17, 2025 at 10:29 PM
#31DaysOfGraves Day 18 - Mistake. So far this is the only stone carving error I've found here. There's nothing to confirm it, but presumably Marion Brindle (1817-1881) had a spelling mistake in her first name and the stone mason had to carve out a chunk of stone to correct it. #Edinburgh #StoneMason
#31daysofgraves Day 17: Relocated. We have several areas where stones have been moved & abandoned in haphazard piles. This was done decades ago by the original commercial company, when families stopped paying their maintenance fees. Shocking, distressing, heartbreaking & infuriating. #Edinburgh
October 16, 2025 at 8:34 PM
#31daysofgraves Day 17: Relocated. We have several areas where stones have been moved & abandoned in haphazard piles. This was done decades ago by the original commercial company, when families stopped paying their maintenance fees. Shocking, distressing, heartbreaking & infuriating. #Edinburgh
#31DaysOfGraves Day 16 - Obelisk. Warriston Cemetery has many, many obelisks. #Edinburgh #taphophile
October 16, 2025 at 10:33 AM
#31DaysOfGraves Day 16 - Obelisk. Warriston Cemetery has many, many obelisks. #Edinburgh #taphophile
#31daysofgraves Day 15: Damaged. Weathering and vandalism have wreaked havoc on many graves in Warriston. #vandalism #graveyards #taphophile #Edinburgh
October 15, 2025 at 4:30 PM
#31daysofgraves Day 15: Damaged. Weathering and vandalism have wreaked havoc on many graves in Warriston. #vandalism #graveyards #taphophile #Edinburgh
#31daysofgraves Day 15: Damaged. Years of neglect following the collapse of the Edinburgh Cemetery Company led to widespread vandalism. These photos show not just damage but theft of applied medallions or portraits, probably bronze or stone. (Photos are fairly unusual on Scottish stones.) #Edinburgh
October 15, 2025 at 4:25 PM
#31daysofgraves Day 15: Damaged. Years of neglect following the collapse of the Edinburgh Cemetery Company led to widespread vandalism. These photos show not just damage but theft of applied medallions or portraits, probably bronze or stone. (Photos are fairly unusual on Scottish stones.) #Edinburgh
#31DaysofGraves 14: Inside. Warriston Cemetery's historic catacombs & vaults. I seem to use the word "sadly" a lot, but again, sadly these were badly vandalised & have been sealed off for many years. The b&w photos were taken by the council in the 1980s. #Edinburgh #Warriston #Catacombs #Vaults
October 14, 2025 at 2:15 PM
#31DaysofGraves 14: Inside. Warriston Cemetery's historic catacombs & vaults. I seem to use the word "sadly" a lot, but again, sadly these were badly vandalised & have been sealed off for many years. The b&w photos were taken by the council in the 1980s. #Edinburgh #Warriston #Catacombs #Vaults
Day 13 of #31daysofgraves: skeleton. Believe it or not we don't have any (visible) skeletons at Warriston. So I return to where it all started for me, with a poster from a 1992 V&A exhibition that I attended as an art student in London. I later wrote my undergrad dissertation on Victorians & Death.
October 13, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Day 13 of #31daysofgraves: skeleton. Believe it or not we don't have any (visible) skeletons at Warriston. So I return to where it all started for me, with a poster from a 1992 V&A exhibition that I attended as an art student in London. I later wrote my undergrad dissertation on Victorians & Death.
I spotted this yesterday, so here's a return to #31DaysOfGraves Day 4: Languages. Xaipe is ancient Greek and can be translated into 'goodbye' or 'farewell', ‘rejoice’ or 'Godspeed' for dangerous missions. Fittingly broad meanings for a tomb’s inscription. #Xaipe #AncientGreek #Edinburgh #Language
October 12, 2025 at 11:26 AM
I spotted this yesterday, so here's a return to #31DaysOfGraves Day 4: Languages. Xaipe is ancient Greek and can be translated into 'goodbye' or 'farewell', ‘rejoice’ or 'Godspeed' for dangerous missions. Fittingly broad meanings for a tomb’s inscription. #Xaipe #AncientGreek #Edinburgh #Language