Old Calton Burial Ground
Old Calton Burial Ground
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Neighborhood: Broughton & Calton
Lying where grandiose New Town townhouses give way to malls and utilitarian housing, Broughton and Calton have long been transitional neighborhoods with a mixed identity. It’s here that Edinburgh’s gay village found a home in the 1980s. But gay culture is anything but overt along bustling epicenter Broughton Street; even if polished pubs, hip bistros, smart delis and art galleries all speak of affluent good taste. The top of Leith Walk is more ragged. This major thoroughfare boasts a famously gritty gay club, as well as a strip of good Indian restaurants. Regal Georgian and Victorian townhouses preside over largely deserted streets in Calton, where only the occasional restaurant or hotel brings much life. Even so, a steady trickle of idlers and picnickers pass by to climb Calton Hill for its wide-open lawns, wonderful city views, and curious monuments – an Athenian-style temple among them.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.0
93 reviews
Excellent
35
Very good
46
Average
10
Poor
1
Terrible
1
SMBSLT
Glasgow, United Kingdom693 contributions
Sep 2020
We stumbled across this quite by accident. We were killing time before a dinner reservation.
I love cemetery's - they are so peaceful and so many of them are aged.
There are some lovely statues in here if you appreciate things like this.
There are a few wee archways you can walk through and there is quite a bit of wee walkways you can have a nosey in.
Lovely, peaceful - if I am through this way again and it is open I would absolutely go in again.
I love cemetery's - they are so peaceful and so many of them are aged.
There are some lovely statues in here if you appreciate things like this.
There are a few wee archways you can walk through and there is quite a bit of wee walkways you can have a nosey in.
Lovely, peaceful - if I am through this way again and it is open I would absolutely go in again.
Written September 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sandy
Kincardine, Canada2,049 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
This is a wee hidden gem. It’s not too large and for our American friends, it holds an interesting grave marker. Lots of interesting symbolism abounds. Needs a bit of a clean up. I would spend about a half to one hour here.
Definitely recommend
Definitely recommend
Written February 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alexsander Ávila
Barnsley, UK162 contributions
Mar 2019 • Couples
This was the first time I went to a cemetery to visit, I loved it, it was beautiful to rest, so sorry that I could not be buried here one day.
Written March 17, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian T
London, UK6,782 contributions
Oct 2022 • Solo
Old graveyards can be interesting, and quite revealing, and the Old Calton Burial Ground in Edinburg is no exception. It’s not huge, and does not have the same drawcard that I think Greyfriars Kirkyard has, but it is worth a look for the interesting monuments and memorials it contains.
It first opened in 1718, but when the main thoroughfare of Waterloo Place was put in place in 1819 to connect the grand houses of Regent Terrace to Princes Street, the burial ground was cut into two sections, requiring the transposition of several hundred bodies to the New Calton Burial Ground which is just across the street from the main burial ground. That bit is not as interesting as the main section.
The burial ground became the final resting place of thousands of local citizens, among the most notable being the philosopher David Hume, scientist John Playfair and publishers William Blackwood and Archibald Constable. Other burials in the graveyard include Sir John Steell, who produced several of the iconic statues in the city, and Robert Burn, who designed the nearby Nelson Monument on top of Calton Hill.
Its most immediately visible feature, piercing the skyline and visible from many points in the city, is a tall sharply pointed monumental obelisk. The Martyrs’ Monument commemorates five political martyrs who were arrested for their political ideals, convicted of sedition and transported to a penal colony in Australia. The other curiosity to check out is a memorial topped with a statue of Abraham Lincoln commemorating the Scots who fought and fell in the American Civil war. It’s the only such monument marking that conflict outside of the United States. It was put in place in 1893. You will also see the mausoleum of philosopher David Hume, bearing just his name, date of birth, and date of death; it’s quite a modest tomb to a great figure of the Scottish Enlightenment.
You cannot but help notice a crenellated castle-like structure, often referred to as the Governor’s House. It was the site of the notorious old Calton Jail. It adds to the landscape of the burial ground, though people often think it’s just another Edinburgh folly.
I thought the burial ground was a bit unkempt and in need of some care. I was also a bit unnerved but the number of solitary people wandering around or sitting in the grounds. It’s not a place I would be walking though at night.
It first opened in 1718, but when the main thoroughfare of Waterloo Place was put in place in 1819 to connect the grand houses of Regent Terrace to Princes Street, the burial ground was cut into two sections, requiring the transposition of several hundred bodies to the New Calton Burial Ground which is just across the street from the main burial ground. That bit is not as interesting as the main section.
The burial ground became the final resting place of thousands of local citizens, among the most notable being the philosopher David Hume, scientist John Playfair and publishers William Blackwood and Archibald Constable. Other burials in the graveyard include Sir John Steell, who produced several of the iconic statues in the city, and Robert Burn, who designed the nearby Nelson Monument on top of Calton Hill.
Its most immediately visible feature, piercing the skyline and visible from many points in the city, is a tall sharply pointed monumental obelisk. The Martyrs’ Monument commemorates five political martyrs who were arrested for their political ideals, convicted of sedition and transported to a penal colony in Australia. The other curiosity to check out is a memorial topped with a statue of Abraham Lincoln commemorating the Scots who fought and fell in the American Civil war. It’s the only such monument marking that conflict outside of the United States. It was put in place in 1893. You will also see the mausoleum of philosopher David Hume, bearing just his name, date of birth, and date of death; it’s quite a modest tomb to a great figure of the Scottish Enlightenment.
You cannot but help notice a crenellated castle-like structure, often referred to as the Governor’s House. It was the site of the notorious old Calton Jail. It adds to the landscape of the burial ground, though people often think it’s just another Edinburgh folly.
I thought the burial ground was a bit unkempt and in need of some care. I was also a bit unnerved but the number of solitary people wandering around or sitting in the grounds. It’s not a place I would be walking though at night.
Written November 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
IAN D
Wigan, UK19,558 contributions
Jan 2020 • Solo
Small historical grave yard at the Calton end of Princess Street. Some very old gravestones and most usually a statue of Abraham Lincoln.
Written January 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ian C
London, UK23,970 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
In all the years of visiting Edinburgh, I had never visited this cemetary but, having a little spare time, I decided to explore it.
Entering through a narrow doorway in the stone wall, you are in another world, a cemetary but providing splendid views across Edinburgh.
It does not have the grandeur of the new Calton Cemetary higher up the hill, but reading the gravestones, you can imagine the lives of the 18th century merchants, actors, intellectuals, religious leaders, doctors and other city fathers who are asleep here.
The three most prominent tombs/memorials are Robert Adam"s neoclassical round tower for the philosopher and athiest David Hume, the American Civil War Memorial with the only statue to Abraham Lincoln in Scotland and the tall obelisk which is the Political Martyrs’ Monument to five political reformers who ended up being transported to Australia at the end of the 18th century. Our current Prime Minister probably wishes she had the same opportunity to deal with troublesome politicians.
A fascinating piece of social history, a map to the key tombs would be very helpful.
Entering through a narrow doorway in the stone wall, you are in another world, a cemetary but providing splendid views across Edinburgh.
It does not have the grandeur of the new Calton Cemetary higher up the hill, but reading the gravestones, you can imagine the lives of the 18th century merchants, actors, intellectuals, religious leaders, doctors and other city fathers who are asleep here.
The three most prominent tombs/memorials are Robert Adam"s neoclassical round tower for the philosopher and athiest David Hume, the American Civil War Memorial with the only statue to Abraham Lincoln in Scotland and the tall obelisk which is the Political Martyrs’ Monument to five political reformers who ended up being transported to Australia at the end of the 18th century. Our current Prime Minister probably wishes she had the same opportunity to deal with troublesome politicians.
A fascinating piece of social history, a map to the key tombs would be very helpful.
Written October 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
flybazz
Paisley, UK1,006 contributions
Sep 2017 • Solo
For such a historic and beautiful cemetery Edinburgh should be ashamed of the state of disrepair, vandalism and litter this place has. Millions of pounds worth of tourism comes into this city every year and this is how we treat this attraction because it's not a place we can charge entry for like Disney World
Written September 23, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
johnhouston2
Knaresborough, UK5,119 contributions
Oct 2020
I enjoy visiting cemeteries and particularly like the extravagant varieties with "over the top" grave markers and monuments. I came upon this one purely by chance on our way up to Calton Hill and my immediate impression was that it is like a smaller version of Glasgow's famous Necropolis.
Established in 1718, the Calton is a fabulously spooky Scottish version of a “Pere Lachaise” cemetery with a great collection of quirky, elegant and decidedly macabre monuments. Several notable people of Edinburgh’s history rest here, including philosopher David Hume, publisher William Blackwood, scientist John Playfair and clergyman Dr. Robert Candlish. And of equal importance you will also find the Political Martyrs' Monument.
The cemetery is also home to the only monument to the American Civil War outside the United States of America. It is a statue of Abraham Lincoln standing over a freed slave.
An unexpected gem - and well worth a visit.
Established in 1718, the Calton is a fabulously spooky Scottish version of a “Pere Lachaise” cemetery with a great collection of quirky, elegant and decidedly macabre monuments. Several notable people of Edinburgh’s history rest here, including philosopher David Hume, publisher William Blackwood, scientist John Playfair and clergyman Dr. Robert Candlish. And of equal importance you will also find the Political Martyrs' Monument.
The cemetery is also home to the only monument to the American Civil War outside the United States of America. It is a statue of Abraham Lincoln standing over a freed slave.
An unexpected gem - and well worth a visit.
Written November 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pragati C
Columbus, OH194 contributions
Sep 2019 • Solo
Quaint little cemetery which includes a Statue of Abe Lincoln (Martyrs of Reform Monument). Found it accidentally while walking around my hotel on Waterloo Place!! Worth a stop ... lots of old markers, and interestingly several of the folks lived well into their 80s .. even back then!! Cool ..
Written September 22, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dimitris L
Sydney, Australia44,496 contributions
Sep 2018
We came across Old Calton Burial Ground when we were on our way to visit Calton Hill. And we were glad we did because it proved to be so very interesting as it was full of history. It is the burial ground of many important, and not so important, personalities of Scottish history. It includes philosopher David Hume and scientist John Playfair, as well as such monuments like the Political Martyrs' Monument, an obelisk erected to the memory of a number of political reformers, and Scotland's American Civil War Memorial. It also includes as statue of Abraham Lincoln!
Written August 28, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MarcinPolandKrakow
Krakow, Poland239 contributions
What are the opening hours ? I suppose, that the gate is closing in the evening and opening in the morning? If so, what time can I go there in the morning ?
lbmullane
Silver Spring, MD70 contributions
Open by 8. Closes at dusk. Entry not obvious, but look for a flight of stairs right next to sidewalk.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Old Calton Burial Ground
- Hotels near Old Calton Burial Ground:
- (0.03 mi) Apex Waterloo Place Hotel
- (0.03 mi) Princes Street Suites
- (0.10 mi) Roomzzz Edinburgh
- (0.05 mi) Parliament House Hotel
- (0.13 mi) The Balmoral Hotel
- Restaurants near Old Calton Burial Ground:
- (0.02 mi) Elliot's
- (0.04 mi) Howies Waterloo Place
- (0.08 mi) The Newsroom
- (0.09 mi) Martone
- (0.06 mi) Deli Fresco
Old Calton Burial Ground Information
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