History
Lindsay Burial Aisle was added to the south side of the medieval parish church of Edzell, dedicated to St Laurence, in about 1550. It was originally used as a chantry chapel, where Masses were held for the dead.
It was later adopted as a burial aisle for the Lindsay earls of Crawford, lairds of the nearby Edzell Castle.
A simple site
Though the Lindsay Burial Aisle is a plain, rectangular building, it has some fine details, including:
- a fine stone piscina, which was used for cleansing vessels used in Mass
- a tomb recess, now lacking its stone effigy
- a central boss carved in the form of four skulls in the burial vault below (not accessible to visitors)
Its arched opening to the north once gave access into the nave of the parish church.
It’s set in a burial ground that’s probably been in use for more than 1,000 years.
