Having seen a recent post on our social media accounts about an unusual gravestone with a long biblical inscription in Scottish Gaelic in the ancient graveyard in Ballyhennan, in Argyll, local historian Craig Finlay got in touch to tell us about another Gaelic inscribed stone in a kirkyard in Perthshire. He is now hoping to work with Archaeology Scotland looking for other examples from around Scotland and has kindly blogged about his quest to tell us more.

If you have ever visited the town of Crieff in Perthshire, you may know that it was once a hydropathic retreat in Victorian times. That spa hotel still welcomes guests who enjoy walks in the surrounding woodland estate, which includes the hill known as the ‘Knock’. On the north facing side of this hill, local legend says that helpless housemaid Cate McNiven was put in front of a gathered mob and convicted during the dark period of Scotland’s witch trials.

After hopelessly pleading her innocence, McNiven was placed inside a wooden, tar-smeared barrel which was then set alight and rolled down the steep hillside. Cate’s crime had been to turn herself into a bee and steal cutlery from the dining room of the local laird. Before her horrific death, she placed a curse on the landowner on whose soil her ashes remain scattered forever.

Near to this spot, you will find Monzie Parish Church and its old burial ground. In 1793, Donald McGregor placed a headstone to commemorate his wife Anna and daughter Catherine. At that time, although the people in the market town of Crieff on the other side of the hill spoke Scots and English, the parishioners of Monzie still preferred to use Gaelic to communicate. And, so it was, that Donald McGregor had the headstone for his loved ones inscribed in the Perthshire Gaelic dialect. This was not common, but what is very unusual is that he had the full English translation inscribed on the reverse. 

Such headstones are exceptionally rare, so, as part of a possible project for Archaeology Scotland’s “Adopt-a-Monument” scheme, we are trying to establish if there are more of these dual-language headstones in Scotland and would appreciate your help identifying and recording other examples. So, if you know of any, please contact me by email.

On a side note, within the parish church at Monzie stands a simple yet attractive stone-carved baptismal font. Many local babies will have been baptised at the font since it was gifted by a local stonemason in July 1904. That man was James McGregor, who was the great-grandfather of Hollywood actor Ewan McGregor. 

Our thanks to Craig for sharing his research project with us, do get in touch with him if you know of a grave marker with a long Gaelic inscription in a kirkyard or cemetery near you and drop us a line if you would like to blog on a matter relating to Scotland’s religious heritage too.