For the protection of the dead.

Early human dissections in Britain were by law restricted to the bodies of criminals executed for murder. Unfortunately, for the early anatomists, the supply of such bodies was very limited. With the growth of medical teaching in the 18th century, universities and private anatomy schools required ever-greater numbers of cadavers for study and grave robbing became by far the most significant source of bodies. The earliest grave robbers were the surgeon-anatomists themselves, or their pupils, but later on professional body snatchers, the Resurrection Men, provided several thousand bodies annually.
Not surprisingly, grave robbing was a practice that was generally frowned upon by society. Across Scotland, as elsewhere in Britain, parishes near to University anatomy schools used a variety of means to protect new graves from the body-snatchers, including so-called mort-houses.
Mort-houses were solidly built vaults, with massive stone roof and walls and with heavy wooden and metal doors. Bodies were stored within these impregnable buildings in well-sealed coffins until they were so decomposed as to be of interest to the anatomists. They were then retrieved and buried in the usual way.
This mort-house, built around 1800, is to be found in the graveyard at Kirkton of Collace. Over the years the building had deteriorated to such an extent that it was in serious danger of collapse. However, repairs began in 2011 and it has now been beautifully restored.