Adopting the Creag Mhor cemetery

Aim

Acquire the Creag Mhor cemetery with its connections to local families and history so that we can repair and look after it for everyone

The cemetery

The Creag Mhor cemetery is located on the west coast of Scotland between the crofting townships of Onich and North Ballachulish on the eastern side of Loch Linhe. It is enclosed by dry stone walls and is set back from the roadside.

The cemetery dates from the middle of the 19th century when it was attached to a then new parliamentary church (which no longer exists). It contains memorials to members of many local families from the 1870s up until the 1970s, including one to the Rev Alexander Stewart who was a noted folklorist of his time. 

In addition to personal and community associations, the cemetery also provides a lovely spot for relaxed contemplation with the loch in front and the woods behind.

For those interested, here is an unofficial list of memorials in the cemetery

The project

We are taking over ownership of the Creag Mhor cemetery from the local council so that we can provide for its long term upkeep and help to protect its continuing existence. Unfortunately this process has taken much longer than expected, partly due to the covid pandemic, so while we have been maintaining the grounds and walls for several years we are only now able to complete the transfer.

We would be very grateful for donations to help us raise £ 2000 to cover the legal and related costs that are an unavoidable part of this process. 

Starting work on rebuilding one of the cemetery walls

The cemetery entrance

In addition to the cemetery itself we have also been working on the area in front of the entrance which is next to National Cycleway 78. Earlier this year, as a separate project and with the kind support of Sustrans, we installed a mosaic depicting the local area. This was designed by a local artist and then created by her and children from the local primary school.

This project successfully funded on 19th December 2022