Kilmartin Grave Slabs, Scotland

Kilmartin Glen, deep in the highlands, is one of the most mysterious places in all Scotland. Within just six miles, a huge collection of standing stones, stone circles and carved rocks make up the richest prehistoric landscape in Scotland. And the grave slabs at Church Glen show how the tradition was kept going – or revived – by the Knights Templar.

Neat the church is the only ‘linear cemetery’ in the country, a series of chambered cairns (burial mounds) laid out in a straight line right down the bottom of the glen. The oldest of these is believed to be 6,000 years old.

In the church itself is a collection of 79 grave slabs. The first of these ate from the 13th century and show figures widely believed to be Templar knights. For reasons now hidden, the tradition they began continued for hundreds of years, right up to the Reformation.

Keep up to date!

Optional email code

Sign up to our newsletter today!

Send me email updates