Category Archives: Churches

Church of St. Charles Borromeo (Mahatao, Batanes)

Posted on by — Leave a reply
Church of St. Charles Borromeo

From Maydangeb White Beach, we again boarded our van and continued on our way, traveling the remaining 2.4 kms. (a 5-min. drive), to Mahatao town proper, and making a stopover at the town’s Spanish-era Church of St. Charles Borromeo.

Check out “Maydangeb White Beach”

The church complex

The first church, made with light material and completed by Dominican friars in 1789, was destroyed by a strong typhoon in 1872 and the present structure was rebuilt, with stone and lime, in 1873 by Father Crescencio Polo, OP (who also remodeled the stone and mortar convent attached to the church).  On September 19, 1898, during the Philippine Revolution, the flag of the Katipunan was raised in the campanille and the church was ransacked (the original gold Episcopal crosier of the image of San Carlos as well as the gold jewelry pieces of the Lady of the Rosary and the Santo Niño were stolen).

2008 National Historical Institute (NHI) historical plaque

In the 20th century, the cogon roof was replaced with galvanized iron and, sometime in 1990, the choir was removed.  On July 31, 2001, the church was declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines. 

June 2005 historical plaque

It has an espadaña-style façade similar to Basco Cathedral and the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer in Sabtang, with two round arches at roof levels for the bells (one of which is dated 1874).  The outer walls have uneven wall thicknesses due to the addition of massive step buttresses that serve as stairways for servicing its then cogon-covered roof.   

Check out “Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception” and “Church of St. Vincent Ferrer”

The church interior

The church’s Baroque style interiors showcases floral designs with sunburst ornaments painted in polychrome and gilt, lending a golden glow among the statuary. On the center of the main retablo is the statue of St. Charles Borromeo (the patron saint) surrounded by statues of St. Joseph, St. Dominic de Guzman and St. Rose of Lima. Two side altars house the statue of the Our Lady of the Rosary, on the right, and of the Holy Child on the left.

The main altar

The second floor of the church convent, on the right side of the façade, is not the typical volada (cantilevered gallery) for convents in the Philippines but an open extended deck. At the back of the convent are remains of an old circular well. 

The left side altar

Within the church’s courtyard is a stone structure that once housed the beatario.  Elsewhere in the courtyard and the elementary school are Spanish-era stone lampposts said to have been used as guiding lights to guide fishermen and early mariners safely to the anchorage just beyond the town’s seaport. 

The right side altar

Church of St. Charles Borromeo: National Road, Brgy. Uvoy (Poblacion), Mahatao, 3901 Batanes. Mobile number: (0921) 766-2282. Feast of St. Charles Borromeo:  November 4.

How to Get There: Mahatao is located 13.4 kms. (a 30-min. drive) south of Basco.

Provincial Heritage and Tourism Office (PHTO): Mobile number: (0929) 230-5934. Website: www.breathtakingbatanes.com.

Church of St. Charles Borromeo (Mahatao, Batanes)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Church of St. Charles Borromeo

From Maydangeb White Beach, we traveled the remaining 2.4 kms. (a 5-min. drive), to Mahatao town proper, making a stopover at the town’s Spanish-era Church of St. Charles Borromeo.

Check out “Maydangeb White Beach”

The church complex

The first church, made with light material and completed by Dominican friars in 1789, was destroyed by a strong typhoon in 1872 and the present structure was rebuilt, with stone and lime, in 1873 by Father Crescencio Polo, OP (who also remodeled the stone and mortar convent attached to the church).

Plaque installed by National Historical Institute in 2008

On September 19, 1898, during the Philippine Revolution, the flag of the Katipunan was raised in the campanille and the church was ransacked (the original gold Episcopal crosier of the image of San Carlos as well as the gold jewelry pieces of the Lady of the Rosary and the Santo Niño were stolen).

Plaque installed by National Commission for Culture and the Arts in June 2005

In the 20th century, the cogon roof was replaced with galvanized iron and, sometime in 1990, the choir was removed.  On July 31, 2001, the church was declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines.

The church’s interior

It has an espadaña-style façade similar to Basco Cathedral and the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer in Sabtang, with two round arches at roof levels for the bells (one of which is dated 1874).  The outer walls have uneven wall thicknesses due to the addition of massive step buttresses that serve as stairways for servicing its then cogon-covered roof.

Check out “Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception” and “Church of St. Vincent Ferrer”

The main altar

The church’s Baroque style interiors showcases floral designs with sunburst ornaments painted in polychrome and gilt, lending a golden glow among the statuary. On the center of the main retablo is the statue of St. Charles Borromeo (the patron saint) surrounded by statues of St. Joseph, St. Dominic de Guzman and St. Rose of Lima.

Right side altar housing statue of Our Lady of the Rosary

Two side altars house the statue of the Our Lady of the Rosary, on the right, and of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the left.

Left side altar housing statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The second floor of the church convent, on the right side of the façade, is not the typical volada (cantilevered gallery) for convents in the Philippines but an open extended deck. At the back of the convent are remains of an old circular well.

The church’s convent

Within the church’s courtyard is a stone structure that once housed the beatario.  Elsewhere in the courtyard and the elementary school are Spanish-era stone lampposts said to have been used as guiding lights to guide fishermen and early mariners safely to the anchorage just beyond the town’s seaport.

One of two Spanish-era stone lampposts

Church of St. Charles Borromeo: National Road, Brgy. Uvoy (Poblacion), Mahatao, 3901 Batanes. Mobile number: (0921) 766-2282. Feast of St. Charles Borromeo:  November 4.

How to Get There: Mahatao is located 13.4 kms. (a 30-min. drive) south of Basco.

Provincial Heritage and Tourism Office (PHTO): Mobile number: (0929) 230-5934. Website: www.breathtakingbatanes.com.

Church of St. Joseph the Worker (Ivana, Batanes)

Posted on by — Leave a reply
Church of St. Joseph the Worker

This church, first built as a chapel in 1787, was rebuilt, with stone and lime, by Father Francisco de Paula Esteban, OP, in 1795 and the bell tower was built by Father Jose Fausto de Cuevas, OP, from 1814 to 1817.   In 1844, it was renovated and, in 1854, its nave was shortened with the rear portion closed (today, ruins of the abandoned portion can still be seen).  From 1866 to 1869, the façade was repaired by Father Fabian Martin, OP.

The church complex

On September 18, 1898, Filipino revolutionaries hoisted their flag after renouncing their loyalty to Spain. On July 16, 2000, a magnitude 7 earthquake partially destroyed the church and, in 2001, Father Gumersindo Hernandez, OP, had it repaired.

The unusual buttresses of the separate bell tower

In 2008, the church was declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. This church, with three-meter thick walls, is the only one in the province not built in the espadaña style. 

Historical plaque installed by the National Historical Institute (NHI) in 2008

AUTHOR’S COMMENTS:

The church’s façade, with Baroque and Moorish architectural influences, has a semicircular arched main entrance with jambs formed in a series of receding molded planes, with alternating semicircular and Moorish arches.  Flanking the entrance are blind semicircular and Moorish arches, framing statues on corbels, and massive flat pilasters (which rise up to the pediment) topped by pyramidal finials.  The undulating pediment has a rectangular window topped by a Moorish arch and flanked by blind rose windows.

Its separate fortress-like, three-storey square bell tower, on the church’s right, is the only one of its kind in the province.  It is supported by unusual buttresses, at the base, and has segmental  arched openings, with balusters, and a crenellated top. 

The church interior

Due to its elevation, the church offers a panoramic view of the sea and the surrounding countryside.  The convent, part of the church complex, has unusual circular masonry work near the stairway.

The main altar
The choir loft

Church of St. Joseph the Worker: National Road, Barangay Tuhel (Poblacion), Ivana, 3902 Batanes. Mobile number: (0977) 120-3307. Feast of St. Joseph the Worker: May 1.

How to Get There: Ivana is located 13.85 kilometers (a 15-minute drive) south Basco. The church is located in front of the town’s port.

Church of St. Antoninus of Florence (Uyugan, Batanes)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Church of St. Antonius of Florence

From Mutchong View Point, it was to be a long 20.1-km. (40-min.) drive to the Honesty Coffee Shop in Ivana. Five minutes into our trip, we made a short stopover at the Church of St. Antonius of Florence near the municipal hall at the town center of Uyugan.

Check out “Mutchong View Point” and “Honesty Coffee Shop”

View of church from the left. Note the pair of step buttresses on the side

The smallest of all the Spanish-era churches in Batanes, this simple church was built in 1871 by Dominican Fr. Fabian Martin (term: 1844 to 1878) and is one of the churches frequented by Fr. Jerry Orbos during his Pilgrimage Tour.

AUTHOR’S COMMENTS:

This single nave church, also built in the espadaña style, has one segmental arch for a bell (now gone) on the upper portion of its Baroque and Gothic-style façade which is buttressed by massive flat pilasters from the foundation to the top.  

Gothic influences are seen from the gables over the narrow, semicircular arched main entrance, the flanking statue niches and the window (above which is the Dominican Order’s seal with its motto “Veritas”) over main entrance. On the sides are step buttresses that serve as stairways for servicing its then cogon-covered roof.   

The church’s single nave interior

Church of Antoninus of Florence: Brgy. Kayuganan, 3903 Uyugan.  Feast of Antoninus of Florence: May 10.

How to Get There: Uyugan is located 22.2 kms. (a 45-min. drive) from Basco and 11.9 kms. (a 25-min. drive) from Ivana. 

Provincial Heritage and Tourism Office (PHTO): Mobile number: (0929) 230-5934. Website: www.breathtakingbatanes.com.

Church of St. Vincent Ferrer (Sabtang, Batanes)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Church of St. Vincent Ferrer

After our tour of Chavayan Village, we again boarded our van for 8.5-km. (20-min.) drive back to the población to visit the Spanish-era Church of St. Vincent Ferrer.  This church started as a small chapel in 1785.  In 1844, it was rebuilt in lime and stone by Dominican Fr. Antonio Vicente, OP.

Check out “Chavayan Village”

The church’s Baroque façade

In October 1956, after damage by a typhoon, Fr. Gumersindo Hernandez, OP, repaired the campanille and, from 1983 to 1984, Fr. Rafael Carpintero, OP, repaired the interior and replaced the cogon roofing with galvanized iron.

Historical plaque

In 2008, the church, convent and beaterio complex were declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

The massive buttresses at the sides

Like the Basco Cathedral and the Church of St. Charles Borromeo in Mahatao, this church has an espadaña-style facade, with two round arches for its two bells on the upper portion of the Baroque façade.

Check out “Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception” and “Church of St. Charles Borromeo”

The church convent

Four massive and broad pilasters, topped by heavy set, urn-like finials, flank the semicircular arched main entrance, at the first level, and the semicircular arched window at the second level.

The church’s interior

The thick walls enclosing the nave, made with stone and lime, are supported by buttresses while, at the back, four round pillars support the choir loft (below which is the baptistery).  A pedestal, with a stone statue of St. Vincent Ferrer, stands a short distance to the right of the church.

The main altar

Inside the church is the original Baroque retablo, with niches for statues of saints, above the high altar.  Made with polychrome and gilded woodwork, it was restored by Fr. Carpintero during the 1983 to 1984 renovation.

Stone statue, of St. Vincent Ferrer, on a pedestal

Church of St. Vincent Ferrer: Brgy. Malakdang (Poblacion) Sabtang, 3904 Batanes.  Mobile number: (0929) 110-2401. Feast of St. Vincent Ferrer: April 27.

How to Get There: There are scheduled 30 to 45-minute early morning boat trips by falowa (round-bottomed boat) from Ivana’s Radiwan Port to Sabtang. The church is located close to the port.

Sabtang Tourist Information Center: Brgy. Sinakan, 3904 Sabtang.  Mobile number: (0929) 226-8055.  E-mail: tourismsabtang@gmail.com.

Provincial Heritage and Tourism Office (PHTO): Mobile number: (0929) 230-5934. Website: www.breathtakingbatanes.com.

Chavayan Village (Sabtang, Batanes)

Posted on by — Leave a reply
Chavayan Village

From Chamanatad-Tinan Viewpoint, it was just a short 1.1-km. drive, along a winding road, to the old, charming village of Chavayan.  The one of the smallest villages in Sabtang and the southernmost community in the province, it is situated between the mountains and the sea, facing the northern tip of Luzon Island. Here, you can find glimpses of the Ivatan way of life, now being threatened by our ever-changing world. Farming and fishing are the primary source of livelihood for the locals. The word chavayan was derived from the word cha (meaning “bountiful”) and vay, the arrowroot plant.

Check out “Chamanatad-Tinan Viewpoint”

Jandy, Grace and the author at the entrance to the village
L-R: Gelyn, Jun, Lorraine, Lourdes, the author, Grace and Jandy. On the left is a now unused boat winch

The iconic “welcome rotunda,” at the asdepen (or asdepan, meaning “entrance) signaled our arrival at the village. To its right is a small hut that serves as the shelter for the Sabtang Weavers Association, the most prominent feature of the village.

Sabtang Weavers Association

Here, we watched old womenfolk traditionally weaving unique souvenir items such as the soot, an Ivatan cape carefully made from finely stripped and dried banana or voyavoy palm leaves, which serves as protection from the scorching heat of the sun or the wind and rain.

Woman weaving a vakul

The vakul is a woman’s soot that covers the head and back and protects the wearer from the sun, rain and wind, keeping themselves cool during the long hours of work in the field.  The kanayi, on the other hand, is a man’s soot made with voyavoy palm leaves or dried abaca stalks.  Worn on the shoulders, it takes three weeks to a month to make but it lasts a lifetime. The talugong, a men’s headgear, normally goes along with the kanayi.

Vakul

Also displayed at their showroom are other handicrafts made out of grasses and palm trees such as abaca bags, purses, pasikin (basket), salakots,home decorations, and other handicrafts.  For photo ops, Grace Lorraine, Lourdes and Gelyn  tried out a vakul  (rented for only PhP20/vakul/person) while Jun, Jandy and I suited up with a kanayi and talugong.

A sinadumparan

Later on, we walked along the narrow street and its rows of old sinadumparan (one of the three classes of stone houses on Batanes) stone houses, a style introduced by the Spaniards when they landed in the province during the late 1800s and some of them are already more than 100 years old.  To preserve the architecture and design of the traditional houses, the provincial government has declared this villages as well as the village of Diura in Mahatao as cultural zones.

Chavayan Theater

These houses have thick walls are made with powdered limestone and corals, while the roofs are made of thatched cogon grass. Here, you can find the traditional detached Ivatan kitchen. The area has no commercial buildings and cellular site around and the life of the locals here are preserved and traditional.  The village does have a “teatro” (theater) where events are held.

Grace and Jandy in front of the Chapel of St. Rose of Lima
Interior of the chapel

Further out, located 10 m. from the beach, is the beautiful Chapel of St. Rose of Lima, the only house of worship in the islands that is still in its traditional form, with cogon grass as roofing.  With a pastel-colored façade, it was built, from 1951 to 1959, via Ivatan spirit of yaru (similar to the Filipino concept of bayanihan) organized by the late Ireneo Hornedo (who was also responsible for building the Chavayan “teatro” and the “welcome rotunda”).  Before venturing out to fish or farm, community prayers are held here before dawn, as villagers offer petitions for safety and abundance.

Monument of Satisfaction

Looking up into the cliff, you can make out Mother Nature’s most perfect sculpture; the phallic-looking Monument of Satisfaction. A small store, at the opposite end (avuyi) of the village, sells Chavayan-made native slippers or sandals, fondly called chavayanas,which fishermen use as protection for their feet on shallow, rocky coastal areas.

The road leading to the beach

On the beach near the village, a popular photo spot, are the Kissing Rocks of Chavayan Village, two unique and imposing rock formations, along the serene and breathtaking bay, that appear to “kiss’ or come close together.

The “Kissing Rocks of Chavayan Village”

Chavayan Village: National Rd., 3904 Sabtang.

How to Get There: Sabtang, on Sabtang Island, is located close to the port.  There are scheduled 30 to 45-minute early morning boat trips by falowa (round-bottomed boat) from Ivana’s Radiwan Port to Sabtang.  From the port, you can rent a tricycle to take you to the viewpoint.

Sabtang Tourist Information Center: Brgy. Sinakan, 3904 Sabtang.  Mobile number: (0929) 226-8055.  E-mail: tourismsabtang@gmail.com.

Provincial Heritage and Tourism Office (PHTO): Mobile number: (0929) 230-5934. Website: www.breathtakingbatanes.com.

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Basco, Batanes)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

Just 110 m. from the Casa Real is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.  Also called the Basco Cathedral or the Church of St. Dominic Guzman, this church is the oldest in the province.

Check out “Casa Real“

Established in 1783, it is dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of Batanes Prelature, and was first built, with cogon and wood, in 1783, by Father Baltazar Calderon and Father Bartolome Artiguez.  It was later destroyed by a typhoon. In 1795, the church was rebuilt in stone by Father Francisco de Paula Esteban.

National Historical Institute (NHI) plaque

The present church was built in 1812 by the Father Nicolas Castaño who shortened the nave.  It 1860, the church was burned and, in 1863, it was reconstructed by Father Antonio Vicente.  In 1891, its roof was replaced with galvanized iron by Father Mariano Gomez.

The cathedral interior

In 1950, the church was refurbished by Bishop Peregrin de la Fuente.  In 2002, it was elevated into a cathedral.  During the July 16, 2000 magnitude 7 earthquake, its façade fell to the ground but, under Bishop Jose Salazar, OP, the cathedral was rebuilt, in its original form, by Father Henry Romero, and completed in 2011.

Altar retablo

The church was built in the espadaña style, with two round arches for its two bells on the upper portion of the façade.  Massive pilasters buttress the church walls from foundation to top.

It incorporates the original front and north walls while the rear and south walls are inside the original ruins.  The church is one of the first limestone buildings to be built under the Spanish regime.  The 2-storey convent, beside the church, was built in 1814 by Father Nicolas Castaño.

The 2-storey convent

Mounted in a monument, on the cathedral’s left, is the 1783 Mission Bell, a gift of King Charles III of Spain which was brought by pioneering Dominican friars Baltazar Calderon and Bartolome Artiguez, on board the packet boat Nuestra Senoña de Carmen, which arrived in Batanes on June 4, 1783 and was first rung, during the first Holy Mass celebrated on the plains of Basco, on June 8 and, later, on June 26, during the formal establishment of the Basco Mission.

Mission Bell of Basco – 1783

On March 2018, it was removed, from the belfry, and replaced by new bells from Holland. The 1783 bell was installed, in a monument funded by the Hermanidad de Sto. Domingo de Basco, and blessed on August 15, 2020.

Church of St. Dominic de Guzman: National Road, Basco, 3900 Batanes.  Mobile number: (0947) 209-6510. Feast of St. Dominic de Guzman: August 8.

How to Get There: Philippine Airlines has one hour and 45 minute flights from Manila to Basco.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Chapel (Basco, Batanes)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Chapel (Tukon Chapel)

After checking in and having a breakfast of fried dibang (flying fish) with pako salad, fried egg and rice at Bernardo’s Lantia Hotel, we were all picked, at 12 noon, by our guide Harvey Gutierrez for our North Batan Tour on board a Toyota van of A.A.B. Travel and Tours.

Check out “Hotel and Inn Review: Bernardo’s Lantia Hotel”

Harbour Cafe

A short 2.3 km. (5-min.) drive brought us to Harbour Café where we had lunch before starting our tour.  The café has a good view of Basco Port.

After lunch, we again boarded our van for another short, 2.9-km. (7-min.) drive to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Chapel.  Parking along the road, we climbed a short flight of steps to get to the chapel.

Grace and Jandy

Also known as Tukon (tukon means “mountain” in the Ivatan dialect) Chapel, this project of the late Henedina “Dina” R. Abad (former Batanes Congresswoman) and her husband Florencio “Butch” B. Abad (former Department of Education Secretary) was built to help Tukon’s residents, especially the older ones, avoid the long walk to Basco to attend church services.

Interior of the chapel

Adopting the design of a traditional Ivatan house (stacking and bonding boulders to make a wall), local craftsmen, masons and carpenters built the church and it is the only chapel embodying such design.

Continue Reading →

Church of St. Cuthbert and Graveyard (Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

St. Cuthbert Parish Church

The historic parish church of St Cuthbert, and its graveyard, are a significant part of Edinburgh’s heritage (the church has been a Category A listed building since 1970) that are both well-maintained.  The church, on the oldest continually used site of worship in the whole city, a parish church of the Church of Scotland.  The earliest church on the site was said to have been founded by St. Cuthbert around 670 AD.

The graveyard beside the church

Partly due to its closeness to Edinburgh Castle, the church was, at different times, caught in cannon crossfire between opposing armies, suffering severe damage or being destroyed as a result and it is believed that there have been seven churches built on its site. The present church of St Cuthbert’s, built in the Baroque and Italian Renaissance style, was designed (except for the steeple of the previous church which was retained), by Hippolyte Blanc and built between 1892 and 1894. It is apparently quite beautiful inside, with stained glass windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany, Douglas Strachan, and Ballantyne & Gardiner; mural paintings by Gerald Moira and John Duncan; and memorials by John Flaxman and George Frampton.  However, on this particular day, it was closed to visitors.

The twin, 3-storey Baroque towers with the old steeple in between

The church, divided into upper and lower levels by a continuous course of ashlar dressings, has a roughly dressed and snecked, cream sandstone exterior, with every corner decorated with half-fluted Corinthian pilasters, on the upper stage (pierced with round-arched windows, with architraves  supported by half-fluted Corinthian pilasters, of each of the four western bays), and quoining on the lower (each bay pierced by an oblong window below a corniced architrave). The slated roof rests at a shallow pitch. The near-identical north and south elevations terminate with square-based, three-storeyed Baroque towers on the east sides of the transepts.

One of the twin, Baroque-style towers

The church itself was where the almost 40-year old crime writer Agatha Christie married the 26-year old (a nearly 14-year age gap which was considered scandalous by some at that time) archaeologist Max Mallowan, her second husband, in 1930, a runaway affair, with the couple eloping northwards, from England to Edinburgh, where the service was conducted without friends or family, and just two strangers brought off the street to act as witnesses to the ceremony.

The large graveyard, near Edinburgh Castle, is believed to be on the oldest Christian site in Edinburgh.  The graveyard is impressive, containing hundreds of monuments worthy of notice, including one to John Grant of Kilgraston (near Perth), and a number of graves that are worth examining as it holds the remains of notable individuals like Thomas De Quincey (1785–1859, author of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater) and John Napier. The first reference to a graveyard here is recorded as being in 1595.

The graveyard

The mathematician John Napier (1550–1617) discovered logarithms and invented ‘Napier’s Bones’ (because the instruments were originally carved from bone or ivory), a device for easily calculating large sums, a precursor to the pocket calculator. He is buried in an underground vault on the north side of the church (reburied after destruction of the kirkyard of St. Giles to build Parliament House).

The three-bay Gothic mausoleum of the Gordons of Cluny, by David Bryce contains the tomb of Cosmo Gordon of Cluny FRSE (1736–1800), a politician and co-founder of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1783.

Obelisks used to mark the graves of notable individuals and families

Robert Tait McKenzie, a Canadian doctor and sculptor, created the memorial known as The Call 1914, in nearby Princes Street Gardens, which commemorates the Scots soldiers who were killed or injured during the First World War. His heart is buried in St Cuthbert’s kirkyard, with a small decorative plaque commemorating his life. Mackenzie originally wanted to be buried in front of the memorial after his death.

Sir Henry Raeburn (1756–1823), one of Scotland’s foremost portrait painters in the eighteenth century, is buried on the eastern wall of the graveyard. Another artist buried here is Alexander Nasmyth (1758–1840), also an architect and inventor, whose most notable painting is the much-copied portrait of Robert Burns. His son, James Nasmyth, also a prolific inventor, is most famous for the steam hammer while his other son, Patrick Nasmyth continued the family line as an artist of note.

Also buried here is Jessie MacDonald, granddaughter of Flora MacDonald (who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Young Pretender of the Jacobite Uprisings, escape Scotland after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746), and George Meikle Kemp (1795–1844), the self-taught architect and master joiner whose major gift to the city of Edinburgh was the Scott Monument, the “Gothic rocket’’ of in Princes Street Gardens.

Other noteworthy burials in the graveyard include:

Many were also buried within the church. They include William Paul (1754–1802), Chaplain in Ordinary to George III; and Sir James Rocheid of Inverleith (1715–1787).

West of the transept, on the north side, are steps that descend to a round-arched doorway, in the basement level, that lead to the Nisbet of Dean burial vault. Buried here is Henrie Nisbet of Dean (died 1609) and his son William Nisbet of Dean. Henrie was Provost of Edinburgh, from 1592 to 1593, while William was twice Provost of Edinburgh 1615 to 1619 and 1622 to 1623. Constructed in 1692, it was retained during the construction of the current church and its predecessor.

Dog sculpture commemorating Edinburgh’s sister city of San Diego (California, USA) and their respective celebrity dogs (Greyfriar’s Bobby, of Edinburgh, and Bum of San Diego)

St, Cuthbert Church Graveyard: 5 Lothian Road, New Town, Edinburgh, EH1 2EP, Scotland.

Greyfriars Kirkyard (Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Greyfriars Kirkyard

On our way to St. Giles Cathedral, we made a stopover at Greyfriars Kirkyard, the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk, a parish church of the Church of Scotland constructed between 1602 and 1620. Located at the southern edge of the Old Town, it is adjacent to George Heriot’s School.

Check out “St. Giles Cathedral”

Greyfriars Kirk

Since the late 16th century, burials have been taking place here and a number of notable Edinburgh residents are interred at Greyfriars. Operated by the City of Edinburgh Council, in liaison with a charitable trust, which is linked to but separate from the church, the Kirkyard and its monuments are protected as a category A listed building.  The name Greyfriars is taken from the Observantine Franciscans friary (dissolved in 1560) whose friars of wear grey habits.

List of notable burials


The graveyard is associated with Greyfriars Bobby, the loyal Skye Terrier or Dandie Dinmont Terrier dog who spent 14 years guarding the grave of his master John Gray (a nightwatchman for the Edinburgh City Police who died on February 15, 1858) until his death on January 14, 1872. This tale of a dog’s devotion is similar to that of Hachiko, the faithful Japanese Akita dog of Prof.  Hidesaburō Ueno in the 1920s.

Check out “Hachiko Memorial Statue”

Greyfriars Bobby Statue

Greyfriars Bobby headstone

Bobby’s headstone, erected by the Dog Aid Society in 1981, is located at the entrance to the Kirkyard to mark his reputed burial place.  However, as there are no parts of the kirkyard that is not consecrated, it is also believed he was buried under a tree outside the gates to the right of the current main entrance.

Greyfriars Bobby Drinking Fountain

A drinking fountain, topped with Bobby’s statue, sculpted by William Brodie, was commissioned by English philanthropist Lady Burdett-Coutts who was charmed by the story. It was erected, in 1873, at the junction of George IV Bridge and Candlemaker Row, opposite the entrance to the churchyard.

Tomb of James Murray

The graveyard is also said to be one of the most haunted in the world and most of those hauntings are linked to the ghost of Lord Advocate Sir George Mackenzie (1636–1691), the merciless judge who, in the 1670s, presided over the trials of the Presbyterian Covenanters who petitioned the King to allow freedom to practice their religion without interference.  The Kirkyard was involved in the history of the Covenanters whose movement began with the signing, on February 28, 1638, of the National Covenant in Greyfriars Kirk as it was a place of free legal public assembly.

Tomb of Scottish architect John Mylne

Following the defeat of the militant Covenanters at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge on June 22, 1679, Bloody Mackenzie imprisoned some 400 (out of 1,200 brought to Edinburgh) Covenanters in a makeshift “prison” at a field to the south of the churchyard, spending four months outside while awaiting trial. It has been described as the world’s first concentration camp.  In the 18th century, part of this field was amalgamated into the churchyard, as vaulted tombs, and the area became known as the “Covenanters’ Prison.”

Tombstone of surgeon James Borthwick (1676)

In a twist of faith, Sir George Mackenzie is buried in an Italianate monument (also known as the “Black Mausoleum”), just around the corner from Covenanters’ Prison, one of the most notable monuments in the graveyard  The distinctive domed tomb, designed by the architect James Smith, was modelled on the Tempietto di San Pietro (designed by Donato Bramante).

Grave of Prof. Alexander Murray

Mackenzie may be dead and gone, but his spirit is said to live on as the Mackenzie Poltergeist who physically attacks people.  In fact, by special arrangement with the guides at Greyfriars Kirk, the area is accessible, during the day, during their opening hours, and at night by going on a City of the Dead Tour where you can visit the mausoleum.

Monument for John Carmichael

In the 1840s, during the early days of photography, the kirkyard was used by David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson as a setting for several portraits and tableaux such as The Artist and The Gravedigger.

Monument for William Rutherford

Some of Scotland’s finest mural monuments, from the early 17th century, are mostly found along the east and west walls of the old burial yard to the north of the kirkyard.  Rich in symbolism of both mortality and immortality, they include the Death Head, Angel of the Resurrection, and the King of Terrors.

Grave of Gerard Bruce Crole

Other notable monuments include the Martyr’s Monument, which commemorates executed Covenanters; the memorial to Gaelic poet Duncan Ban MacIntyre (1724–1812, renovated in 2005, at a cost of about £3,000, raised by a fundraising campaign for over a year); and the monument of Sir John Byres of Coates (1569–1629), one of the last works of the royal master mason William Wallace.

Tombstone of Alexander MacDuff

Other notable burials here include:

Grave of Katharine Margaret Crole

Greyfriars Kirkyard: Greyfriars Place, 26 Candlemaker Row, Edinburgh, EH1 2QE Scotland. Tel: 01316644314. E-mail:  bereavement@edinburgh.gov.uk.

How to Get There:   A 10-minute walk from Edinburgh Waverley Station, the Kirkyard is also within easy walking distance of the Old Town and the Grassmarket.   You can take a bus from the nearby stops. Specific bus routes that stop nearby include the 9, 23, 27, 35, 41 and 42.