I was interested reading the attachment to your post the distances travelled to the graveyard.
I looked up where West Kirk was and it is now called St. Cuthberts which is the church set back of Lothian road in the west end of Princes St. Edinburgh.
Having lived in Edinburgh for many years and knowing it’s geography people were covering a good distance to bury their dead.
St. Cuthberts is a very interesting church, it has a Tiffany stained glass window, 1 of only 8 in Europe. It depicts David holding his sling preparing to slay Goliath.
Agatha Christie’s second, quiet, secret ? marriage took place there in a side chapel.
It has the most amazing apse made from many different colours of marble, quite OTT but stunningly fascinating.
My Dad had been to a probus talk which had mentioned the marble, he was very keen to see it, we had tried several times to go but it was never open.
So once he was staying with me I suggested we go just after the Sunday morning service. We knocked on the door and explained why we were there. The gentleman who answered was in full morning dress, striped trousers, tail coat etc.
He explained they were having a vestry meeting but if we came back in half an hour we could have a quick look round. We did but felt like the poor relations in our scruff as the whole committee were in morning dress.
This was about 15 years ago , the church now much more of an open door policy and it well worth a visit if in Edinburgh. It has a very interesting graveyard which is in two parts as it was ‘sliced’ through when the railways were built.
