After Stobhill we passed this church on the way back from Crichton Castle (and Collegiate Kirk) and I noticed the Commonwealth War Graves sign.

Cockpen is south of Bonnyrigg on the B 974 between Bonnyrigg and Gorebridge.

Inside the churchyard I found no fewer than twelve war graves.

(I have no idea why some of these don’t show as pictures on the blog but only as links to my Flickr.

Edited to add; they seem to be loading okay, now.)

Guardsman G Davis, Scots Guards, 20/4/1919:-

Sergeant T Smith, Air Gunner, RAF, 3/10/1943, aged 25. An urn in front of the gravestone commemorates Alice Cummings:-

Able Seaman A Raeburn, RNVR, HMS Dinosaur, 15/6/1943:-

Sapper J Murphy, Royal Engineers, 1/11/1918:-

Private R Millar, Highland Light Infantry, 5/5/1917, aged 24:-

Private A Ramage, Royal Scots, 27/4/1919:-

Gunner W Cranston, Royal Artillery, 15/3/1919, aged 20:-

Driver W Ward, Royal Field Artillery, 23/2/1919:-

Flight Sergeant J E A Huschmann, RAF, 8/5/1943:-

Guardsman G K Pringle, Scots Guards, 19/10/1916:-

Private J Allan, London Regiment, 16/2/1919:-

Private P Bennet, Royal Scots, 23/10/1919@-

For some reason we stopped in Loanhead, Midlothian, on our way back from Crichton Castle and Crichton Collegiate Kirk (see earlier posts.)

There we found this memorial “To the memory of those men who died in accidents at Bilston Glen Colliery during its working life and to all others who lost their lives in mining accidents in the community of Loanhead.”

The kirk is by the narrow road leading to the path to Crichton Castle (see previous post.)

Kirk from the castle:-

Kirk from the path to the castle:-

Kirk from churchyard:-

Kirk from east:-

The castle is in Midlothian, by the village of Crichton, which is itself near Pathhead on the A68.

The castle from the access path:-

Castle and stables from minor road across the valley:-

The stables (or they may have been a slaughterhouse or chapel) from the castle:-

Closer view of stables:-

View through stables:-

View to castle through stables:-

Unusual “pointy” internal wall of castle, apparently Italian influenced:-

Internal detail on stonework:-

More detail:-

The castle contains Scptland’s first scale-and-platt (ie modern style) staircase:-