The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Grandad and grandson uncover pet cemetery
MEMORIAL: Pair get to work to bring back some dignity to century-old site
A Fife man and his grandson have uncovered a forgotten, century-old pet cemetery.
Frank Mccafferty, 73, and his 11-yearold grandson Jed, made the fascinating discovery while walking last month in the grounds of what is now Keavil House Hotel in Crossford.
The animal cemetery, which consists of 10 gravestones – the oldest of which dates back to 1921 – is on the outer wall of the hotel grounds and trees and bushes had hidden it from public view for decades.
Even staff at the hotel admitted they were unaware of the cemetery’s existence until the pair made the discovery.
Despite the difficulty in accessing the unusual site, Frank and Jed set about clearing away the dense undergrowth in a bid to bring back some dignity to the burial area.
Armed with hedge shears, saws and clippers, the pair visited the cemetery over five separate days to finally make the graves accessible after decades lost to nature.
Frank said: “I moved to Crossford in 1977 and remember seeing the graves back around that time but that was decades ago and the area is now largely woodland and overgrown.
“The idea that it was still there excited us both so we went to take a look.
“It took two visits to finally find the site and we wanted to clear the area as a mark of respect.”
It is thought the graves are of family pets that would have belonged to the owners when Keavil House was originally a private home.
“They are proper carved headstones, with names such as Raid, Keva, Soot and Chi-yo, which would only have been purchased by someone with wealth to mark the graves of their pets,” said Frank.
“I’ve been told naval officers stayed here during the Second World War and that in 1955 the house was sold off and became a children’s home until the mid1970s after which it was turned into a hotel.
“We’d love to know more about the history of the graves and the house and hope a local historian may be interested in our discovery.”
The pair say they plan to keep tending to the graves to ensure they are not lost once more to nature.