Last August, I visited Larbert Cemetery for the first time and found the grave of Thomas Cowan. He is commemorated with a headstone from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) as he died whi…

Helen tragically lost her life to pulmonary thrombosis on Armistice Day, at 14 Glencairn Road, Edinburgh, after a grueling, sixteen-day fight against influenza, which became even more severe with t…

Christina McBean is the second victim of the Spanish flu that I found in Daviot Churchyard. She was one of many nurses who made the ultimate sacrifice in the fight against the Spanish influenza. Ch…

Nestled in the picturesque landscapes of Highland Perthshire, Blair Atholl is a captivating village that enchants visitors with its charm and rich history. At the heart of this vibrant community st…

Kirriemuir is a quaint town nestled on the edge of the beautiful Angus Glens, an area cherished for its natural splendour. With a rich and storied history, this former royal burgh holds a special p…

St. John’s Episcopal Church is situated outside Ballachulish along the A82 road. The view to the east over Loch Leven towards Glencoe is breathtaking. This beautiful church was built in 1842.…

Daviot Churchyard sits next to the northbound A9, six miles south of Inverness. Set on a small hill, the churchyard has attractive views over the surrounding countryside and is adorned by the beaut…

Dating back to 1867, Arbroath’s Western Cemetery is known for its elegance. It is meticulously planned and landscaped, with the highlight being the striking, albeit somewhat ostentatious, Mor…

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church is located on the western side of the Perth Road roundabout in the town center of Dunblane. Near the church grounds stands a small statue of a bear and a fox, comm…

Liff, Benvie and Invergowrie is a rural parish on the western edge of Dundee straddling both Angus and Perth and Kinross Council territories. The area is best known as the site of the former mental…

Thurso Cemetery is among the most northern on the UK mainland. The cemetery is located on the southern outskirts of the town. Thurso native Christina Jack died from influenza and inflammation of th…

In 1823, an Act of Parliament was passed, lifting the ban on the burial of suicide victims in consecrated ground. The practice likely continued despite the legislation. According to superstition, t…

Airbles Road Cemetery is located on the outskirts of Motherwell, near the River Clyde. Historically, Motherwell was the centre of steel manufacturing in Scotland. The variety of headstones in the c…

Jane Taylor passed away from influenza and related complications at the age of forty-two on January 7th, 1919, at Easter Fannyside Farm in Cumbernald. Her untimely death came just a week after her …

Many people (myself included) associate the name ‘Cumbernauld’ with one of several ‘new towns’ constructed in Scotland after the Second World War. An ambitious civil and soc…

Old Monklands Cemetery is situated on the outskirts of Coatbridge, on a south-facing hillside with impressive views towards nearby Bellshill, Uddingston, Rutherglen and the eastern fringe of Glasgo…

On February 20, I paid my first visit to Denny Cemetery. It is located across from Denny High School, an attractive, landscaped Victorian-era cemetery containing various headstones and memorials. T…

I forgot I already had a copy when I purchased this. This copy is brand new.

The grounds of Scone Palace are nothing short of spectacular. Scone Abbey once stood on the site where early medieval Scottish monarchs were crowned atop the famous ‘Stone of Scone’. Ce…

The East Neuk of Fife boasts one of Scotland’s most picturesque stretches of coastline. The village of Kilconquhar sits inland from the coast. Sitting next to Kinconquhar Loch, the town is do…

. The Dundee Telegraph of November 19 1918, reported the severity of influenza in the District of Cupar in neighbouring Fife. The article acknowledged “numerous deaths&#82…

Camelon Cemetery is one of my favourites. The cemetery is a diverse smorgasbord of headstone designs, spanning from the late Victorian era to the present day. James Cowan rests near the Cemetery&#8…

Downton, North Yorkshire, has a picturesque churchyard. The remains of many generations of the Crawley Family, the Earls of Grantham rest within its walls. The churchyard is also the resting place …

I returned to Dundee’s Balgay Cemetery today. ‘Boy’ Albert Victor Patterson rests in a familial grave of Section C towards the eastern end of the cemetery. Albert succumbed to inf…

Woodilee Hospital was situated on the eastern edge of Lenzie, East Dunbartonshire. Today, nothing remains of the once extensive complex except for the main entrance building, which includes the clo…

Tullibody Churchyard dates back to the 12th Century, and the remains of the church date back to the 16th Century. The site is adjacent to relatively modern social housing, which is an interesting j…

On International Women’s Day, we recognise and celebrate the contributions made by women. Women were on the front line in the fight against the Spanish flu as doctors, nurses, and scientists,…

Located on an east-facing hillside on the southern edge of the town, Inverkeithing Cemetery has a dramatic setting. The cemetery overlooks the Firth of Forth towards Edinburgh. Looking south, the t…

This morning, I attended the funeral of Edward Colin Lamont Mayall, known locally as ‘Colin’. Colin was a renowned local historian, genealogist and author of several books and hundreds …

A plaque commemorating Ian Greenless Herdman is on the north perimeter wall of Edinburgh’s Dean Cemetery. Ian died the week before Christmas, on December 16, aged seventeen, at 1 Belford Park…

The Dean Cemetery in West Edinburgh is impressive. Academics, clergy, financiers, politicians, physicians and other elites from the city’s past rest within its walls, their graves marked by g…

Kilmacolm is a charming town located in the Gryffe Valley. Although it’s only a short distance from Port Glasgow and Greenock, which are situated along the south banks of the Clyde Estuary, K…

Eusthia Napier (nee Morrison) rests at the western edge of Dysart Cemetery. The headstone is in good condition, and her details are clear and legible. She succumbed to influenza and pneumonia on Oc…