Historic Churchyard Tour of St Michael’s
Next tour - date coming soon!
Dumfries is steeped in history and that is certainly reflected in her historic churchyards. We have a passion for exploring these peaceful havens, researching local history and discovering the personal stories behind those who rest there. This inspired us to create a brand new walking tour at St Michael’s Churchyard in Dumfries.
These tours will run regularly during the year and are also available for private bookings. Whether you’re visiting Dumfries and Galloway or a local organisation, family group or school class that wants to discover our local history, please contact us to discuss your needs and let us plan a unique experience that will leave you keen to learn more!
We will be increasing these tours in due course to cover two other outstanding churchyards in Dumfries - St. Mary’s and Troqueer - watch this space!
Let us now introduce you to St. Michael’s Cemetery, the key character in our historic graveyard walks…
St. Michael’s
Famous the world over as the final resting place of National Bard, Robert Burns, St. Michael’s Churchyard houses an impressive array of gravestones that reflect fascinating stories and events in Dumfries’ rich history. In addition to widely known aspects of St. Michael’s such as the poignant cholera grave (see Dumfries Ghost Walk) and monuments to Covenanting martyrs (see Ghosts and Graverobbers), we aim to highlight the lesser known, hidden gems secreted within the stones.
Discover outstanding funerary art, decipher graveyard emblems and explore elegant epitapherie as we guide you through the burial ground of the oldest church in Dumfries. Hear the heartfelt story behind a prophetic dream, behold the unassuming burial place of two key figures in Scotland’s dark history and a “weel kent” and greatly respected Dumfries character whose remarkable role in the town shaped daily life for over sixty years. With so much of our town’s history reflected in the stones, it’s a challenge deciding what to leave out!
Please note: St. Michael’s is no longer used for burials
Booking Details
Each walk will take approximately 2 hours. Accompanied children aged 8 and above are very welcome to attend. Tours will take place during daylight hours to enable guests to enjoy the full experience of viewing stones with plenty of opportunities to take photographs.
Due to the uneven terrain, mobility is restricted, please contact the team to discuss your individual requirements so we can ensure you have the right information when planning a visit. Certain areas are unsuitable for wheelchair access and mobility impaired. We run a wide range of ghost and local history tours; please contact us in advance of your visit to ensure we can organise an experience that will meet your requirements.
This venture is underpinned by respect for the dead, the living and our surroundings, therefore, we expect the same from our guests.
Scheduled Tours: Standard £10, Children and Concessions £8, Family (2 adults and 2 children) £28
For private tour prices, please get in touch for more info.
A donation from each tour will be given to St. Michael’s Church
Find our more about the inspiration behind these tours:
Discovering Dumfries’ Churchyards
St. Michael’s - Forest of Stone
To book your historic churchyard walking tour, please contact the team through our website or by phoning 07791 047835 or 07912 145865. You can also FOLLOW us on Twitter and LIKE us on Facebook.