City kills off bid to bring new life to graveyards

Published on Monday 14 July 2008 10:20

A MAJOR project to regenerate Edinburgh's historic graveyards to make them more attractive to visitors and tourist tours has been shelved by the city council.

Plans had been drawn up to revitalise five of the Capital's most significant cemeteries, where historical figures such as economist Adam Smith, poet Robert Fergusson, philosopher David Hume and David Rizzio, the murdered private secretary of Mary Queen of Scots, are buried.

The council planned to spend 165,000, and launch a bid for more cash from the Heritage Lottery Fund, but officials have ruled that the funding is no longer available.

Supporters of the scheme today criticised the move, warning that the cemeteries will become "dumping grounds for cans of lager or syringes".

Longniddry-based author Michael Turnbull made the original claim that major investment was urgently needed, saying that Edinburgh should follow Glasgow's lead in making graveyards more attractive to tourists.

A team of park rangers look after the graveyards of Glasgow on a daily basis and part of their duties is to provide free tours.

Mr Turnbull, who wrote the Edinburgh Graveyard Guide, today said the council's decision was "sad". He said: "It was a brilliant plan – the direction they are now taking is short-sighted."

"Graveyards are for the next generation to visit, but if we're going to have them as wastelands, or dumping grounds for cans of lager or syringes, what kind of legacy are we leaving?"

The five cemeteries originally earmarked for improvement are in the heart of the world heritage site – Greyfriars Kirkyard, Canongate Kirkyard and Old Calton, New Calton and St Cuthbert's burial grounds.

The council's decision was revealed in a letter from chief executive Tom Aitchison, sent to Tory group leader Iain Whyte who championed the project.

He said today: "It's disappointing this is not going to be progressed. I'm certain that Edinburgh's historic graveyards would be a tourist attraction, especially now that Adam Smith's statue is in place (on the Royal Mile].

"People will come from around the world to see the statue and visit Canongate Kirk, where he is buried, and I'm sure their interest could be extended to other historical figures buried in Edinburgh.

"It's high time we had a graveyard tour and I hope we can go back to the plan, as this could be a real boost to the city's economy."

Around 12,000 was spent on staffing costs to get the project off the ground, but Mr Aitchison said: "It has been determined that the project should be terminated for the time being, given the lack of development funding."

The decision was taken earlier this year by officers, not councillors. A 2007 project to spend 250,000 on landscaping, and better pathways, at the Greyfriars Kirkyard and Calton burial grounds was carried out.

Gordon Greenhill, head of community safety with the council, said: "

We will continue to work to ensure that we are doing all we can to conserve these graveyards."

THE GREAT, THE GOOD AND NOT SO GOOD IN OUR CEMETERIES

Who is buried in the graveyards?

Canongate

&#149 Economist Adam Smith.

&#149 Philosopher Dugald Stewart.

&#149 Socialite Agnes MacLehose – immortalised in verse by Robert Burns.

&#149 David Rizzio, the murdered private secretary of Mary Queen of Scots.

&#149 Poet Robert Fergusson.

Greyfriars

&#149 Lawyer George Mackenzie – known as Bluidy Mackenzie, thought to haunt the graveyard.

&#149 School founder Mary Erskine.

&#149 School founder George Watson.

&#149 Renowned "bad poet" William McGonagall.

&#149 Murdered soldier, Captain John Porteous.

&#149 Greyfriars Bobby is buried at a grassy verge by a wall nearby.

Calton burial grounds

&#149 Philosopher David Hume.

&#149 Painter David Allan.

&#149 Robert Burn, who built the Nelson Monument.

&#149 Sculptor Sir John Steell, creator of Edinburgh's Duke of Wellington statue.

St Cuthbert's Burial Ground

&#149 Mathematician John Napier.

&#149 Author Thomas De Quincey.

&#149 Battle of Bothwell Bridge captain, Reverend David Williamson.