Cille Choirill

This is our local graveyard.

It is where my friend and various family in-laws are buried. I went up to visit today as it was three years yesterday since my friend died.

It is also the church and graveyard used in the Monarch of the Glen TV series for all their church scenes and is the graveyard used for Hector's burial. The view is stunning. It is a very beautiful place full of history and very ancient graves.

You can see my car in the distance and that gives a sense of how high up it is and how steep the path up. Highland funerals are like nothing I had seen before coming here. Often a lone piper will play on the hill as friends or family carry the coffin up from the car park. When all the words have been said and the coffin lowered, all the deceased's family and friends help to fill in the grave, which I find a lovely tradition as it's the last thing you will do for the person and is done by those who care. Sometimes a wee drop of whisky will be produced in the car park for those who want it and it is often welcome as it can be bitter up there in the winter.

If a funeral can ever be lovely then this is how!

Good viewed large.

31 days to go! (To my knee op!! Every time I do this it sounds like it's so many days to go until whatever came before....in this case a funeral....yesterday Christmas!)