Mort house

Never seen one of these before. It is to be found in the cemetery in Udny Green. It was constructed in around 1830. Its purpose was to guard against the resurrectionists (or body snatchers) whose objective was to obtain human bodies for anatomical dissection and for medical education. The aims may have been laudable, but the means of obtaining the bodies less so. Bodies would be securely stored within a mort house until their condition rendered them unsuitable for medical research.

The present church in Udny Green was built in around 1821 to replace the original church which stood within the graveyard. Nothing remains on the surface of the original church. The weather was relatively kind during the time of our visit to Udny Green, though it has been raining most of the rest of the day.

A substantial lunch at the Cock and Bull, just north of Aberdeen, ensured a quiet afternoon despite the rain.