Susan Buckham

Dr. Susan Buckham is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Stirling, specializing in Scottish historic graveyards and post-Reformation burial sites. She currently serves as Graveyards Project Manager at Edinburgh World Heritage (part-time) and runs Kirkyard Consulting, a freelance consultancy focused on Scottish graveyard conservation. Her roles include Deputy Chair and Treasurer of the National Committee on Carved Stones in Scotland (NCCSS) and membership on the Death in Scotland Conference Committee. Susan holds a PhD from the University of York (2004), where her research examined Victorian gravestone designs in York Cemetery. She previously led Historic Environment Scotland-funded projects on graveyard conservation and served as Director of the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (2006–2009).

Education:

• PhD in Archaeology, University of York (2004)

Research Interests:

Susan’s expertise spans graveyard history, conservation policy, and legislation. Her work emphasizes safeguarding burial grounds through best practices and interdisciplinary approaches. She advocates for Scottish death studies, co-organizing the 2025 'New Insights into Scottish Deathways' conference with the University of Aberdeen.

Awards:

No specific awards listed.

Advising & Grants:

No formal advisees or grant details provided. Susan’s professional contributions include policy development through her role on the Scottish Government’s Burial Regulations Working Group (2019–2024).

Labs/Teams:

• Edinburgh World Heritage (Graveyards Project)
• Kirkyard Consulting