How do I find graves in Caithness??

[JenClark]

Hello,

I am currently in Scotland and wanting to visit Caithness and hopefully find some of my ancestors graves, what I am not sure about is whether the cemeteries or churchyards still exist? I was hoping someone up there might be able to point me in the right direction?

I have family buried in Berriedale (Borgie and Newport), Latheron, Wick, Watten and Thurso (so far!)

I am desperately wanting to find the MI for the following burial listed in the pre-1855 Index to Caithness MI's:

Rutherford LA2 transcription number 34

Plus a whole stack of others, I thought my best bet would be to go and have a look for myself....does this cemetery still exist?

Any help would be much appreciated

Jenny

[JenClark]

please see new post "Caithness Memorial Inscriptions pre 1855 - Lookup please" for further details...

Jenny

[runner]

Hello Jenny

We spent our holiday last summer tramping round Wick, Thurso, Halkirk and several others.
You may be lucky but you may be like us and find that even where a stone still exists the surface has been eroded to the point of illegibility.

The Caithness Family History Society have done a lot of work in many of the graveyards(this appears to be an on-going project) but their best work is to produce booklets of lairs, dates, inscriptions for as many plots as possible all over the county.
Go to the Archive centre in Wick Library and you will be given as much information as they have. Extremely helpful people!

The old church in Latheron is now the Gunn  family history centre which is interesting even if you have no family attachments there. It sits in a lovely spot surrounded by the old graveyard.
No matter how much information you get from the archives visit the old graveyards. some are so well occupied you have to walk across stones to reach others. Its a unique experience.

Enjoy your trip

Russell

[JenClark]

Hi Russell,

I agree, it can be a challenge but an interesting one  I did have a wander around the Latheron Graveyard, but alas did not find what I was looking for. I was there on a Sunday too (typical timing!!) and the Clan Gunn museum was closed... I would love to get back up there, but I am back in Edinburgh at the moment.

I hope someone can let me know where to see the booklets here in Edinburgh, because that would be fantastic

I did have a fantastic find in Berriedale though, my 4 x great grandfather's grave completely legible and lying completely flat on the ground!!! How lucky am I?

Thanks for the advice, I hope someone can look up the booklet for me or let me know where to find it in Edinburgh....remembering of course that I work Mon-Fri   

Jenny

[JenClark]

Found a Caithness MI booklet in the family history society in town, open on a Wednesday till late 

Jenny

[newlabeluk]

try here for Latheron old & new and Clyth

http://www.graven-images.org.uk/

Fred did a grand job

[JenClark]

Hi newlabeluk,

Thanks for the link 

I have only had a little peek at it and it looks fantastic!! Fred has done a fabulous job.

Thanks again, many hours will be spent searching through the Sutherlands there I fear 

Jenny