Scotland Revisited #6

We started our second day in Dumfries and Galloway at St Stephen’s church and old cemetery at the edge of Stoneykirk.

I’ve mentioned, in at least one previous post, that part of the reason I was in Scotland with my wife was to allow her to see personally the places that she’d visited vicariously in census returns and other records relating to her family history.

Many of her18th and 19th century Hannay ancestors lived locally – some were born, married and died in Stoneykirk.

The records tell us of some who were buried here, though we didn’t actually find any names on gravestones corresponding with those records. Many of the epitaphs were completely indecipherable, others badly eroded but still, just about, legible – as the one above.

One of the many less readable gravestones.

We found quite a few Hannay graves though – and others where the family surnames (Martin, McCracken, McGill, McDowall) corresponded with the maiden names of the spouses of my wife’s Hannay ancestors.

If you’re going to be buried anywhere, it would be hard to find anywhere more beautiful to spend eternity.

Featured Photo

Fittingly, I hope, I’ve chosen this side-on view of the church.

EXIF data were: 1/80 secs @ f/5.6 and 16 mm. ISO was 160.