The author unearthing the past in his local graveyards

When looking for a way to brighten up your day, not many would head for the graveyard.

For Wigtown bookshop owner and author Bre Martin, however, there is no better place to spend your time.

He has made it his mission to record the names, inscriptions and epitaphs on the headstones of Galloway before they crumble into dust, as well as researching the stories of the people buried underneath.

Martin insists his hobby - the subject of his new book - is not as morbid as some might imagine.

He runs New Chapter Books in Scotland's national book town, Wigtown, but loves nothing more than going out to visit a nearby burial ground.

It has unearthed - not literally, thankfully - an incredible cast of characters and stories worthy of any work of fiction.

Among the people whose life stories he has revived is that of Allan McGowan, buried in Kirkinner's old kirkyard, who started his naval career on board ships chasing down privateers in the Caribbean.

Martin said it was the kind of tale that had fascinated him for years.

"When I was child, there was a stone in Whithorn's old kirkyard that caught my eye," he said.

"It was of a mariner by the name of William Broadfoot, but it wasn't the inscription on the front that made it interesting but rather what appears on the back: 'If you think I'm forgot, you're mistaken'.

"I love the fact that this was included, and that this inscription, though worn and weathered, still points a defiant finger at the passerby after all this time."

Originally, Martin simply intended to record and investigate the stones in Wigtown's kirkyard.

However, as time went on and the stories he unearthed became more fascinating, he branched out into the neighbouring kirkyards to see what else was waiting to be discovered.

Once he has a name and inscription the real detective work begins.

Recovering the details of people who have sometimes been dead for centuries can involve hours of painstaking research, poring over old records, books and newspapers.

Over the years his research attracted growing interest and he was invited to do talks about what he had uncovered.

This led to the suggestion of the book, which is published by Jayne Baldwin of Foggie Toddle Books, also based in Wigtown.

Far from being a morbid activity, Martin said his hobby was full of pleasure.

"I can't think of anything better than wandering round Galloway's old kirkyards," he said.

"They shouldn't be seen as a place of death.

"A stroll around an old kirkyard surrounded by nature, history, and peace, can do more for your heart and soul than you may think."

He also believes people in years gone by were, in some ways, much better at commemorating their dead.

He said: "We've learned a lot from the 17th,18th and 19th Century headstones which tended to be made of sandstone which weathers badly, but now we have rows of impersonal granite.

"We've lost the individualism of the headstones in old kirkyards where no two were the same."

So, as an expert in the subject, what would he like when his own time comes?

"I'd probably go for something that defies council regulations - and requires air traffic to be warned when flying close to it," he said.

He will discuss his new book, Kirkyard Chronicles, and his work as a "graveyard sleuth" at Wigtown Book Festival which begins on 25 September and runs until 4 October this year.