Moray group starts on monumental task

Work to clean and record around 6,000 gravestones began at Moray’s largest cemetery yesterday.

The Moray Burial Ground Research Group started clearing away grime and photographing gravestones in its biggest project yet at Elgin Cemetery yesterday. The cemetery was opened in 1858, and has been extended twice since then.

The group’s field work co-ordinator, Helen Mitchell, said: “We are recording all the cemeteries in Moray for family history and genealogy purposes.

“There will come a time when the stones are all down and nobody will be able to get the information from them, which is why what we are doing is so important.

“The Elgin Cemetery project is the biggest.

“It will take years to complete.”

The group completed a two-and-a-half year project to record all Elgin Cathedral’s graves in 2008, but Mrs Mitchell said the cemetery would take “much longer than that” as the group is also working on other sites in Moray.

The group is looking for volunteers to help document each stone. Anyone interested can contact Mrs Mitchell on 01343 546620.