Peathill Kirkyard dyke

In 1597 the Scottish Parliament passed an Act ordering that Kirkyard dykes should be built with stone and mortar to a height of 2 ells (6 and a half feet) with stiles and gates for churchgoers. This was to prevent the inhabitants of the Kirkyard being "digged up and devoured by beasts". It also explains why the dykes round so many older kirkyards are of fairly uniform height.