Directions to the Covenanters’ Grave in Cupar

There is a reason for the lengthy title of this post. The other day J and I went to the graveyard of Cupar Old Parish Church to try to find the “Covenanters’Grave”. It was raining and cold and windy, and neither the websites that mentioned it, nor the board in front of the church actually say where in the fairly substantial graveyard it is actually located. So the long and the short of it, is that we didn’t find it then. Today R and I went back on a better day and did find it – so here is an explanation.

There is a board outside the church mentioning the grave, but the gate next to it has been locked on both occasions I have been here. Carry on round the corner following the wall to your right. Don’t bother climbing over the very low bit even if you are inclined to do so because the open gate is not far. Go on past another locked gate (why??) to your right and another to your left, and you will find the open one after about 100 yards or so.

Once in the churchyard, turn right (doubling back) and follow the wall through a sort of arch into the main area. You can now see the church to your left ahead, and the wall to your right. The stone itself is about 50m straight ahead quite close to the wall. You can spot it by its interesting shape with crenellated bits (I am sure there is a technical term for this) on top. These photos are geolocated and show the exact location

This is the stone itself with its gruesome inscription.

On the whole it is a very interesting graveyard with lots of 18th and 19th tombs – well worth a look (unless you are a pathological tomb hater like J in “Three men in a boat”)