Note 30 — Chapter VIII · FORMS A NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTION.

The modern church is at New Aberdour, nearer the centre of the population; but the churchyard at Old Aberdour is still used as the parish burying-ground. Nothing can be more disgraceful than the state of some of the country burying-places in Scotland. The graves at Aberdour are covered with hemlocks and nettles! And yet some money seems to have been spent in “ornamenting” the place. The ruins of the ancient church have actually been “harled”—that is, bespattered with a mixture of lime and gravel! Think of “harling” Melrose Abbey! The money spent in whitewashing the ruins would certainly have been better expended in removing the bits of old coffins, cutting down the hemlocks and nettles, and putting the burying-ground into better order. The Queen has shown a good example in ordering the churchyard of Crathie to be improved. But that of Braemar is still in a wretched state, being covered with hemlocks and nettles.