Old Calton Cemetery

Old Calton Cemetery is a historic burial ground on sloping terrain featuring stone monuments, mausoleums, and graves distributed across multiple levels. Pathways wind through the grounds, connecting different sections and passing numerous recorded memorial stones along the way.

The burial ground was established in 1718 as a single continuous site until the construction of Waterloo Place in 1819 divided it into two sections. This urban development reshaped the grounds and became a defining moment in its layout.

This burial ground reflects Edinburgh's role as a center of thought and reform, where the community chose to honor its brightest minds and boldest voices. The monuments here speak to how locals valued intellectual pursuit and civic courage across centuries.

You can enter the grounds through gates on Waterloo Place, where pathways guide you through different sections of the site. The sloping terrain requires some footing care, particularly after rain when surfaces may be wet.

The grounds hold North America's only Civil War memorial located outside the continent, a statue of Abraham Lincoln erected in 1893. This unexpected monument honors Scottish support for the Union during the conflict.