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A red sandstone monument behind iron railings among bare trees in Boleskine burial ground.
Inverness

Boleskine Burial Ground

An old graveyard between the road and Loch Ness near Foyers, below Boleskine House, with what is said to be the only mort-house in the Highlands and stones going back centuries.

Welcome

On the quiet road along the south side of Loch Ness, between Inverfarigaig and Foyers, an old walled graveyard lies between the road and the water, beneath the trees.

This is Boleskine.

A medieval church once stood here; its walls survive as a roofless enclosure. The one roofed building is a small mort-house, where coffins were kept under guard until the bodies inside were of no use to the body snatchers who stole corpses for the anatomists. It is said to be the only one in the Highlands. Among the old stones, many of them for local Frasers, one of 1730 carries three small dents said to be musket shot from 1746.

Above the graveyard stands Boleskine House, once owned by the occultist Aleister Crowley and later by Jimmy Page. Visit quietly: it is still a burial ground.

A short drive awayFalls of FoyersA waterfall in a gorge at Foyers.4 min by roadSee itWooded gorge with rocky cliffs, forested hills and a mountain beyond
Before you go

The burial ground is open at all times.

It is still a graveyard, so visit quietly.

Where
The B852 between Inverfarigaig and Foyers.
See
The mort-house.
Above
Boleskine House.
Where it is

On the B852 on the south side of Loch Ness, between Inverfarigaig and Foyers, between the road and the loch.

Close byLoch Ness.
  1. Wooden building with sign reading "The Camerons Tea Room & Farm ShopThe Camerons Tea Room2 miles6 min by road
  2. Loch Ness with autumn-coloured hills rising along its far shoreLoch NessThe loch itself.6 miles9 min by road
  3. Wooden jetty and lochside houses beneath forested hills on a misty shorelineDores BeachThe shingle beach at the loch's north end.12 miles16 min by road
  4. Winding hill track above forestry and a distant loch under cloudy skiesSuidhe Viewpoint12 miles19 min by road
  5. Aerial view of Fort William's river with a tour boat moored beside a parkCruise Loch Ness15 miles22 min by road
Directions
Wooded gorge with rocky cliffs, forested hills and a mountain beyondAttractionsFalls of Foyers1.4 miles
A yacht moored on a pontoon where the Caledonian Canal meets Loch Ness at Fort Augustus, trees and hills beyond.AttractionsFort Augustus15 miles
The Lovat at dusk: white front, slate roof and dormers, lit lamps and the glowing bay window, a planter on the drive.Fort AugustusThe Lovat HotelPlace to stay · 15 miles
A sign reading Loch Ness, Welcome to Fort Augustus on the stony shore, the loch running north between wooded hills.AttractionsLoch Ness Viewpoint15 miles
Water cascades through canal lock gates towards a white cottage beyondAttractionsCaledonian Canal16 miles
Stay nearby

Places to stay near the graveyard, and when each is next free.

The Lovat at dusk: white front, slate roof and dormers, lit lamps and the glowing bay window, a planter on the drive.The Lovat Hotel
  • A hotel
  • In Fort Augustus
  • 10 miles from Boleskine
Check datesFrom above, Aquila's turf-roofed log cabin and wrap-around deck on the edge of the ridge, the glen stretching away in autumn colour.Aquila at Eagle Brae
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Struy
  • 12 miles from Boleskine
Check datesTringa's long turf-roofed log walls on the hill, foxgloves in flower in the grass below.Tringa at Eagle Brae
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Struy
  • 12 miles from Boleskine
Check datesSylvia in sunshine: a log cabin with a pale gable and oak door, whisky barrels along its gravel yard and a birch beside.Sylvia at Eagle Brae
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Struy
  • 12 miles from Boleskine
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in InvernessAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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