Deer in an Edinburgh cemetery - your views online

Wild deer are eating flowers left for loved ones at Craigmillar Castle Park Cemetery

Donna Dunsford

Here’s a concept, maybe if builders didn’t keep taking away their natural habitat to keep building new houses and actually left some space/greenery for them this wouldn’t be happening! Only humans could be greedy enough to keep taking away their space to constantly build and then moan when they poor animals go looking for food. The flowers would just rot if the deer weren’t eating them!

Jonathan Stewardson

I'm sure my loved ones, especially my late granny and grandad, would find this funny if they had deer or any animal up above foraging for food then suddenly thinking "Oh aye. let's raid auld Charlie and Jessie's larder today". Also remember that these are wild animals and lately we've had a fair amount of snow lying around, so for them it's easy pickings.

Janey Cathro

Been doing it in Dunbar for years. Turns out they’re not keen on gypsophila!

Merle Campbell

My mother would love this as she loved all animals and fed all she could!

Christine Robertson

I'd be delighted to think the animals were enjoying them, as would my granny I think – as long as folk don't start trying to "help" by leaving wrong foodstuffs for them instead.

Finlay Smith

Better than them dying off, being damaged or stolen, – sick, but it happens. I’m sure those who have passed will get to watch as a wild dear walks through having a nibble, instead of people ruining their peace.

Carrie Banks

Wildlife at their best - so natural.

Annette Smith

Our cemetery gets frequented by rabbits, and I’m happy for them to eat the flowers that I take. Doesn’t bother me one bit. We are giving something back to nature.

Jackie Hughes

With every inch of green space getting houses built there’s no thought or care to where they would go after getting pushed out. We are lucky to still have wildlife like this roaming in our feilds as I'm sure it's a sight we'll lose in time … save the deer.

Doreen Haldane

I went one morning early to my friend’s grave and the deer were wandering around in the mist. Beautiful to see.

Eileen Mackenzie

While I feel sorry for the bereaved losing the flowers, I am sure his wife would rather that than vandalism. Deer need food too. I too have a resting place where it happens, but I am sure my son would be happy to see that.

Kacey Milne

The deer shouldn't need to be grave robbing. We are destoying our natural world. Must be the only species that is knowingly destroying our own habitats, yet we think we are the most intelligent.

Colin Dick

If the deer doesn't eat it, then fungus will.

Alice Spencer Brown

I remember putting flowers down for my dad and rabbits had had a field day with them. When I thought about it he would have loved that they were getting a feed. I then just got really nice fabric ones and changed them every so often. Think it would be quite lovely seeing deer roaming through a cemetery tbh.

Linda Lawrie

I was spending a fortune every week but I got wise to the deer and just put artificial flowers down for my son now. Anyway, with the price of real flowers and the cost of living, I can't afford to feed the deer.

William Rice

It happens at Philipshill too.

May Moss

I can think of no better way to honour a loved one than by feeding a hungry deer at Christmas.

Shaun Burns

I would love to know deer and other animals are benefiting from flowers laid at my grave .

Kelly Kay

Deer always eat the roses I put down at the cemetery! They love them.

Bindy Beridge

Rabbits love flowers too! They often hop about my mum’s grave. I find comfort in nature surrounding my loved ones.

Lynda Ramage

My gran is buried here, she would have loved to see a deer. They are only doing what animals do, trying to find food to survive.

Audrey Finlayson

It's always has been like this since all the woodland has been taken away from the greenbelt. Such a shame, but nature is nature and survival is survival.

Sooz McCrae

I think this is rather beautiful in a way. I’m happy that flowers/wreaths I lay are nibbled by deer. It’s like the person who’s gone is caring for them.

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