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Dr Susan Buckham specialises in the study of Scottish historic graveyards, with a particular focus on burial sites of the post-Reformation period. Drawing on 20 years of experience in graveyard recording, conservation, research and interpretation, Susan’s knowledge and skills spans graveyard history and development, conservation good practice, and the policy and legislation relevant to burial ground management and protection.

Susan holds a PhD from the University of York (awarded 2004), where she studied in the Archaeology Department. Her doctoral research examined the social and economic influences upon Victorian gravestone designs in York Cemetery. From 2001 to 2005, Susan held the role of Carved Stones Adviser at Archaeology Scotland and led a Historic Environment Scotland-funded project to promote best practice in graveyard conservation, management and recording. A former Director of the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (2006-2009), Susan is currently Graveyards Project Manager at Edinburgh World Heritage (part-time). She also runs Kirkyard Consulting as a freelance specialist in the conservation and research of Scottish graveyards.

As a member of the Death in Scotland Conference Committee, Susan works to raise awareness of and accelerate interest in research into Scottish death studies. New Insights into Scottish Deathways - A Digital Conference will take place online on 24 - 25 April 2025. This is the fourth Death in Scotland Conference and is being organised in partnership with Arnar Arnason, Senior Lecturer, Anthropology, the University of Aberdeen and Vikki Entwistle, Chair in Health Services Research and Philosophy, Health Services Research Unit, the University of Aberdeen. For more information see the New Insights into Scottish Deathways website

Susan is also the Deputy Chair and Treasurer of the National Committee on the Carved Stones in Scotland (NCCSS). Between 2019 and 2024, she represented the NCCSS on the Scottish Government's Burial Regulations Working Group. The Group's remit was to inform the regulation of burial authorities and grounds in Scotland, the development of statutory guidance and the creation of a Code of Practice for burial grounds.