“I’ve found a place I’d like you to see; It’s a surprise but I think you will find it very interesting.” So I put my trust in Andy and allowed him to lead us back towards the castle.

Suddenly amidst the busy architecture of the Edinburgh old town an alley led from the street up to what I first thought was a large walled garden. As stone made way to green grass and lush trees I realised Andy has led us into a large graveyard, Greyfriars Kirkyard. With a grin he said, “see I knew you’d like it!”

The graves here were very old dating back to the 1500s. I’ve read that Greyfriars Kirkyard is one of the most haunted grave sites in all of Scotland with many documented cases of people becoming hysterical, inexplicably bruised and bloodied by some unseen assailant and many cases of people simply fainting.

I can’t say I found this place peaceful but I did find it interesting both for its history and its visual intensity.

Although I captured many disturbing effigies on old graves this simple scene caught my eye. A little bit of new life atop the stone lid of an old tomb.

Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Life on Death’, 1/4000s f/2.8 ISO100 200mm