Leighton family tomb

The Leighton family tomb is a granite structure built around 1867, designed by John Leighton. It features a rectangular plan with a burial chamber below, positioned on a steep slope and aligned on an east-west axis. The main granite section is supported by brickwork in a Flemish bond to adapt to the hill's incline.

The exterior of the tomb is large and deep, adorned with broad flat ribs in a gothic style that frame vibrant triangular mosaic panels depicting ‘memento mori’ imagery and carved inscriptions. On the south face, there is a rampant red lion within a shield, accompanied by a crest that includes the phrase ‘LIGHT ON’, a clever reference to the Leighton family name. The north face displays a skull above the Latin motto ‘HODIE MIHI CRAS TIBI’, meaning ‘Today me, tomorrow for you’. The east face features a carved date stone inscription reading ‘18 JULY 1867’, along with John Leighton's monogram. On the west face, a floral mosaic is interwoven with the words ‘HE/COMETH FORTH LIKE A/FLOWER/&/IS CUT DOWN’. Throughout the tomb, various symbols, including the cross patteé and monograms inspired by Leighton, are prominently used.

Additionally, the tomb includes eight shield-shaped stone plaques, two on each face, inscribed with the birth and death dates of family members. An inscription at the western base states ‘L DEL: D.M & J. NEWALL Sc/DALBEATTIE NB’, indicating Leighton's role as the designer and likely referencing the granite polishers and quarry responsible for the materials and construction. The top of the tomb features a shallow arrow-shaped moulding pointing east towards St Mary's Church, with three metal locating pins embedded in the arrow.