The Greyfriars Kirkyark, located on the edge of old town Edinburgh, is definitely one of the most beautiful cemeteries we have ever been to. The perimeter walls, and a few of the dividing interior walls, are made up of individual burial monuments. The stone carvings, or ‘wall murals’ on these monuments are absolutely amazing.
Apparently JK Rowling thought the cemetery was quite amazing as well. Rowling spent five years outlining the Harry Potter books before she even started writing the first book in the seven book series. Her favorite table at the cafe where she spent countless hours doing research and planning for the books has views out over the cemetery, and she would wonder among the monuments and graves during breaks in her work. The inspiration for the names of a few of the most important characters in the books were actually taken from names carved on monuments in the cemetery.
Here’s a gallery of photos from our wonderings about the Greyfriars Kirkyard …
