Skeleton is laid to rest

A skeleton used for medical training has been laid to rest in Crieff.

The anonymous bones, thought to be more than 100 years old, were donated to locally-based Gaulds Funeral Directors on January 25.

Named Cnàimhneach – which means‘skeleton’in Gaelic – the bones were said to have been previously used for medical training purposes.

Crieff Parish Church’s Rev Jim Begg led a funeral service to finally lay the bones to rest.

The age of Cnàimhneach is common in human skeletons used for research, many of which were donated for such purposes in the 20th century.

But the unusual thing about the recent burial is that the bones are believed to come from two different people.

Professor Tracey Wilkinson of Dundee University explained: “They’re invaluable collections for our students, most of them would’ve been imported from Russia, France or Germany but originally the majority come from the Indian subcontinent.

“It’s unusual for skeletons to be made up of different individuals.

“What is quite possible, though, is that if it was indeed used as a medical teaching skeleton it’s quite possible that it got mixed up at some point and somebody took a skull out of the box and it got mixed up in the teaching.”

After spending decades serving the medical profession, Cnàimhneach was laid to rest at a site overlooking the River Earn.

It was blessed with a Gaelic proverb which reads:“Sith do d’ anam, is Clach air do Chàrn.”

The translation is :“Peace to your soul, and a stone to your cairn”.