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Nancy Johnston

@jeelyeater1.bsky.social

1.3K followers 1.2K following 950 posts

Gallus granny interested in glass, graves and gardens. Perthshire. Once a History teacher. Ancient alumna of University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde (Jordanhill) and the OU. RAMC camp follower for 33 years. Photos all mine.

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Nancy Johnston @jeelyeater1.bsky.social · Nov 18

Thanks to new followers and to those who’ve been following for a while. Gradually topping up my photos of carved gravestones, countryside etc - but not much #stainedglass this year, as few churches around here are open.

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Undiscovered Scotland @undisscot.bsky.social · 3h

The magnificent Kildalton Cross in the south-eastern corner of Islay: Scotland's finest intact early Christian high cross. Beautifully preserved and standing 2.65m high by 1.32m wide, it was carved towards the end of the 700s. More pics and images: www.undiscoveredscot...

#Scotland #Islay

The Kildalton Cross. The image shows part of a ruined church on the left of the frame and a graveyard occupying much of the lower part of the frame with trees behind it. There are only a few scattered graves while, in the centre foreground and occupying the whole central strip of the frame is a large greenish-grey decorated stone cross with arcs connecting its arms to the upper and lower parts. The scene is in sunlight.

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Scottish Church History Society @scotchurchhist.bsky.social · 13h

Church and Society conference - 15 November, central Edinburgh. For full programme and to book ------> www.eventbrite.com/e/schs-autum... #churchhist #history #scothist

SCHS Autumn Conference - The Church and Society

Join us at the SCHS Autumn Conference to explore the historic role of the church in society in Scotland.

www.eventbrite.com

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Nancy Johnston @jeelyeater1.bsky.social · 3h

#31DaysOfGraves Day 15: Damaged. Broken stones in Kilmadock old churchyard. It’s an interesting place to visit in an idyllic spot near Doune in Stirlingshire

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N16Breda Corish @n16breda.bsky.social · 16h

#31DaysofGraves Day 14: Inside - mortsafe cages in Ramshorn Kirkyard, Glasgow.
Designed to keep bodies inside their graves, safe from the attentions of the 'Resurrection Men' who supplied corpses to Glasgow's medical schools for dissection.

Photograph of two mortsafe cages covering two family graves adjoining the inner walls of Ramshorn Kirkyard & surrounded by green trees and grass.

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LizD @bibby4.bsky.social · 1d

#31DaysOfGraves Day 14 Inside: A Viking -age grave marker inside Govan Old Parish Church. It was fashionable in the 17th and 18th centuries to reuse the stones, hence the initials and date added later. Free entry to the Govan Stones every day until the end of Oct. @govanstones.bsky.social

A rectangular, grey, stone slab supported against a wall. It bears faint traces of interlace and knotwork carving and what was once a cross. It has the initials WI and the date 1634 carved on it , neither of which form part of the original carving.

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Inverclyde History from Cartsburn Publishing @inverclydehistory.bsky.social · 1d

#31daysofgraves #Inside the Shaw Stewart family vault at #Inverkip graveyard. #LocalHistory #Inverclyde

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rozanderson.bsky.social @rozanderson.bsky.social · 17h

#31daysofgraves Day 14 inside. There are 13 graves marked on the floor of the nave, at Dunblane Cathedral, covered now by the pews. There were many more burials, probably hundreds. The 1st is the oldest 1639 or maybe 1638, the 2nd 1712, suggested perhaps the mason who carved the date was illiterate.

Flatstone on the floor of Dunblane Cathedral, very worn, with the date 1639 or 38 and the words HEIR LYISE, the rest is difficult to read. Final line of initials is BMB

Flatstone in Dunblane Cathedral's nave date 1712 carved in an unusual style and the initials IC CB PM IC IM

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Scotland's Churches Trust @scotchurchestrust.bsky.social · 16h

Day 14 of #31DaysOfGraves - Inside

Here are just two monuments from the extraordinary assemblage of 14th-15th century graveslabs that are now housed within the reroofed former Prior's house within the ruins of the Augustinian priory on the island of Oronsay.

These were most likely MacDuffie chiefs

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Friends of Warriston Cemetery @fowarristoncem.bsky.social · 19h

#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

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Scotland's Churches Trust @scotchurchestrust.bsky.social · 1d

The whole table tomb is always worth sharing, with its depiction of the farmer William Straiton reclining beneath, his missing head once resting on a sheaf of corn as he holds a skull and a dog warming his feet. It also has scenes of his daily farming life carved on one end. Quite remarkable.

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Scotland's Churches Trust @scotchurchestrust.bsky.social · 1d

Day 13 of #31DaysOfGraves - Skeleton

On the leg of a magnificent 18thC table tomb in Liberton Kirkyard, Edinburgh, is carved the figure of death as a skeleton, standing upon a skull, firing a dart at the soon-to-be-deceased while cutting the cord of a weight dangling over the unlucky person's head!

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 1d

#31DaysOfGraves day14: inside. Govan, better known as the heart of Scotland's shipbuilding industry, is home to one of the country's oldest places of worship and to the Govan Stones, Viking era hogback stones, as well as the magnificent pre-Norman Govan sarcophagus. A brilliant place to visit.

Viking hogback stones. A long carved stone that looks a bit like a corn on the cob

Detail of the Govan sarcophagus, a carved stone tomb. The detail shows a soldier on horseback and some carved pattern work to one side

Another detail from the sarcophagus, possibly showing a lamb standing on a wolf (perhaps suggesting the triumph of Christianity over paganism)

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Alison Spring @acspring.bsky.social · 1d

#31DaysofGenealogy #Day14 #Inside the former Govan Old Parish Church (now a museum containing Pictish & Viking sculptures), near where I grew up, sits a stone sarcophagus believed to have held the remains of Constantine of Strathclyde, ruler & later saint. More details at buff.ly/AgK4bZx

A sandstone sarcophagus, without a lid, showing a side with carvings of Celtic interlace on either side of a hunting scene showing a deer, a hunter on horseback, and a dog.

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Nancy Johnston @jeelyeater1.bsky.social · 1d

#31DaysOfGraves Day 14: Inside. Kinnoull Aisle, Kinnoull old kirkyard, Perth.

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Scotland's Churches Trust @scotchurchestrust.bsky.social · 2d

“In searching for them, you wander through the everyday fabric of a place. You see how a culture remembers its dead, and in doing so, you understand how it chooses to live.”

Interesting article exploring the growth In tourist visits to graveyards around the world 👇
www.euronews.com/travel/2025/...

Tombstone tourism: Why visiting graveyards is becoming so popular

A growing number of tourists are “rebelling against tick-box travel” by ditching the popular sights for a trip to the graveyard.

www.euronews.com

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St Magnus Cathedral, Orkney @stmagnuscathedral.bsky.social · 6d

Day 9 of #31DaysofGraves - and the prompt is ‘hand’! Here’s a little prototype emoji from the 1600s - a hand pointing towards a Bible. This stone commemorates Kirk Minister Thomas Baikie, who died aged 42.

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Brian McRoberts @brimcrob.bsky.social · 2d

When I wander round Greyfriars Kirk. I always stop and marvel at some the carvings on the various graves. There is whole story the mason is telling with this one.

A gravestone with carved Skelton that looks as if its falling out of the stone while carrying some sort heavy tome of book.

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Alison Spring @acspring.bsky.social · 2d

The obverse of a stone in Meigle churchyard (Perthshire). The dedication on the principal side is to Janet Edward, who died in 1737, age 49. Her husband was James Lesly. #31DaysofGraves #Day13 #Skeleton

This gravestone depicts a winged soul above a skeleton that stands between two trumpeting angels and holds an hourglass and an arrow. Other symbols on the stone are tools and a bell.

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Scotland's Churches Trust @scotchurchestrust.bsky.social · 1d

A fine example of an Early English Gothic style miniature cathedral, All Souls, Invergowrie, is our #ScottishChurchOfTheWeek. It was completed in 1896 for Frances, Lady Kinnaird in memory of her late husband George, the 9th Lord Kinnaird and their three children, who had all predeceased her.

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Nancy Johnston @jeelyeater1.bsky.social · 2d

#31DaysOfGraves Day 13: Skeleton. In Port of Menteith kirkyard, Stirlingshire.

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Scotland's Churches Trust @scotchurchestrust.bsky.social · 2d

Sadly her remains were disturbed in the years before by macabre souvenir hunters, one of whom stole the poor woman's skull, which remained in St Andrew's Uni for many years.

A photo was taken that allowed forensic artists at Dundee Uni to reconstruct her face in 2017.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scot...

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Scotland's Churches Trust @scotchurchestrust.bsky.social · 2d

Day 12 of #31DaysOfGraves - Notable Woman

An unassuming slab of stone off the Fife coast at Torryburn covers the mortal remains of Lilias Adie, the only known grave of an accused witch in Scotland

Buried beneath the tidal line by superstitious villagers in 1704, her grave was rediscovered in 2014

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Nancy Johnston @jeelyeater1.bsky.social · 2d

Gorgeous weather this weekend in the capital, so have been doing some touristy things.

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Scotland's Churches Trust @scotchurchestrust.bsky.social · 3d

Day 11 of #31DaysOfGraves - Military

Many churches in Scotland house markers that once marked the graves of fallen soldiers of World War One until they were replaced by the permanent headstones erected by the (now) CWGC.

This one in Clackmannan Parish Church once marked Cpt Robert Bruce's grave.

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Lorraine @wolfq4.bsky.social · 3d

Day 12 of #31DaysOfGraves is #NotableWoman
To anyone who knows my areas of interest, it couldn't be anyone other than Miss Cranston of Glasgow tearoom fame. She died in 1934 and is buried with her husband in Barrhead
#twitterstorians
Read my post:
archivisthistoryblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/10/t...

The Cochrane family grave in Neilston Parish Church in Barrhead
Photo (c) Lorraine Murray, 2024

Mrs Catherine Cochrane (Cranston) was widowed in 1917

31 days of graves themes for 2025 but @annaandthedead

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