Extra: The last Easter Sepulchre in Scotland

This time last year I was travelling around the UK with a friend, and we happened to stop for a couple of hours in Stirling, Scotland. The weather was exceptionally lovely, so we decided to forgo the touristy castle and go exploring instead - a most wise decision, for tucked away on the hillside was a rare gem: the Church of the Holy Rude. ('Rude' is an alternate form of rood, meaning crucifix.)


The church was quiet and empty save a woman arranging flowers in a recess in the wall. When she finished I asked her what it was for; she said it was an Easter Sepulchre, a model tomb that represents the one that Jesus rose from. Every Easter they put a bouquet there to celebrate Jesus' rebirth, and we were very lucky to have visited the day before Easter Sunday! All the more remarkable was the fact that it was the only one left in Scotland, as Easter Sepulchres are a primarily English feature.

There were more surprises. Engraved on one of the flagstones was this:

HERE ON 29TH JULY 1567
THE INFANT SON OF
MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS
WAS CROWNED
JAMES VI KING OF SCOTS
Unveiled by Her Majesty
THE QUEEN
on Saturday 24th May 1997

Being a bit of a Tudor history buff, I got really excited - James VI (or James I, depending on where you hail from) succeeded Elizabeth I, and was the first monarch to rule both Scotland and England. Wikipedia says that the Holy Rude and Westminster are 'the only churches in Britain still in use to this day that have been the sites of coronations.' So by pure accident I'd visited both on the list.

All this, and the church is still overshadowed by the nearby Stirling Castle. I wonder if it features in any 'alternative' sightseeing maps like 'The Geek Atlas'?

By the way, Happy Easter everone:)