Old Town Cemetery (Valley Cemetery) is the churchyard of the Church of the Holy Rude, Stirling, Scotland

The church has a historic churchyard lying primarily to the west and north-west of the church. Stones date from the 16th century.

The churchyard was extended in 1851, creating the Valley Cemetery to the north, divided from the old cemetery by only a path. This contains a series of statues by Alexander Handyside Ritchie of figures from the Reformation.

The old graveyard contains a unique stone with a carved depiction of body-snatching, marking the theft of Mary Stevenson (1767–1822) by James McNab, the local gravedigger who had buried her two days earlier, on 16 November 1822, aided by a friend, Daniel Mitchell. The body was passed to John Forrest, for dissection. The two men were caught, but released due to legal technicalities and a riot ensued. Mary’s body was reburied and the stone carved to mark the strange event.

Image details
Date: 1 February 2026
Camera body: Nikon D50
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Focal Length: 34mm
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Shutter Speed: 1/500s
ISO: 500
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