Scottish Tales From the Crypt
‘Definitely not much to be seen in Aberdeen’ was the refrain I kept hearing when deciding to stow away on Hubby’s business trip to Scotland. Being the ever optimistic traveler I was certain I could find something of interest in a place that has been on the map for more than a thousand years.
Four blocks from our hotel sat the Kirk of St Nicholas. This historic church in the middle of Aberdeen serves both the members of the Church of Scotland and the United Reform Church. A cooperative bunch the Scots must be.
Even more interesting to me was the placement of the cemetery along one of the most major streets in the city. Since the earliest mention of the church dates back to 1157 I can appreciate the roadway may have been slightly different in the day. Point taken.
Arriving as dusk settled on the tombs this surely could be a setting for the remake from Tales of the Crypt.
St Nicholas retains the largest number of medieval effigies of any parish in all of Scotland. The fact that none of them are in their original locations deterred said Canadian tourist from wandering about past dark on the property. One would hate to be in the way of a moving tombstone.
‘The Mither Kirk’ ( mother church ) of Aberdeen was named for St Nicholas who was chosen as the patron saint of Aberdeen. A miracle involving the rescuing of lost sailors from the sea made St Nicholas a popular chap in this fishing locale.
The Kirk was enlarged in the 15th century and became one of the largest parish churches in medieval Scotland. The 500th anniversary of the dedication of the enlarged church was marked with the installation of a special stained glass window above the entrance.
Perhaps the folks who told me there was not much to see in Aberdeen haven’t heard about the Kirk with the moving tombstones.
‘Definitely not much to be seen in Aberdeen’ was the refrain I kept hearing when deciding to stow away on Hubby’s business trip to Scotland. Being the ever optimistic traveler I was certain I could find something of interest in a place that has been on the map for more than a thousand years. Four…
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