Warriston Cemetery, Edinburgh - grave concerns.....

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Tue May 02, 2006 9:12 pm

OK - excuse the pun title. This one really upset me at the weekend. I'd been given the grave location of a relative by Morton Hall Crematorium so I went to track the burial spot of one Hugh Rose Smith, my 2nd great granduncle who was born in Fearn, Easter Ross and died in Edinburgh 19 January 1889, aged 40.

I was prepared for there to be no stone as I had a hunch there might not be, and I'd been to Warriston before looking for a grave which I just couldn't find due to the enormous amount of ivy growth. I was also aware of the controversial laying flat of those stones perceived to be dangerous in many Edinburgh cemeteries, which can be read about here:
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=754
so I thought I was well prepared for most eventualities.

What I found though, I was not prepared for at all. I could not find the exact spot of Hugh's grave - there was no stone, but close by was this:
http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... p?pos=-518

This was one of several piles of stones I took photos of. Here are others in the same area of the cemetery:
http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... p?pos=-523
http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... p?pos=-522

It really is outrageous. I appreciate there are more urgent and distressing matters in the world today than some grave stones being moved to make the area "safe" ( for people to exercise their dogs it seemed, despite there being "no dogs" signs clearly placed ) but frankly, I was appalled & I suppose it also upset me to think that if uncle Hugh did have a stone at one time, I sure as heck was not going to find it now, along with the many others who will find themselves in that area of Warriston cemetery searching in vain for a family stone.

I can’t even begin to think what his sister Lily, Hugh’s death informant & my gr gr grandmother, would feel on seeing what has become of the area and the complete lack of respect shown to those buried there...

This is nothing short of vandalism masquerading under a spurious “public safety” front. And where does this stop? How long will it be until someone trips over one of these “flattened” stones and sustains a serious head injury? What will then be done in the interests of public safety? No doubt it will be suggested that the only solution is to completely remove the flattened stones from the cemeteries altogether.

Surely, just as people are advised to keep away from railway lines, electricity cables and deep water, a sign at each cemetery stating in clear terms the unsafe nature of the area would have been a more sensitive approach to the problem.

Best wishes
Lesley

Rab · Post by **Rab** » Tue May 23, 2006 11:14 am

That is terrible. I haven't been to Warriston for about 2 years and never been to the plots- my grandparents and uncle were cremated there. Surely the owners should be doing something about it. I don't know if it's the same people who own the crematorium that own the cemetery but if it is then I'm afraid to say I'm not surprised. The last cremation I attended there we were treated like cattle.

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Tue May 23, 2006 6:05 pm

Hi Rab
I wrote to City of Edinburgh Council concerning Warriston Cemetery and have received a reply to say that my letter has been passed to the appropriate department. I look forward to their reply...

The last cremation I attended there we were treated like cattle.

That sounds awful, and I'm sorry to hear that. As far as I'm aware both the cemetery and the crematorium come under the same local authority.

Best wishes
Lesley

Cathy · Post by **Cathy** » Tue May 23, 2006 9:35 pm

An absolute disgrace. Shame on them.