When someone passes away and the process of organising their funeral has started, it’s important to know what options are available should you wish to arrange a burial or a scattering of ashes. Whether you are pre-arranging a funeral plan for yourself or organising the funeral of a loved one, understanding the steps of the process can help make this difficult task a little easier. 

Within this guide, we’ve provided a simplified glossary of common terms you might come across when organising a burial as well as useful links for purchasing a plot through Dundee City Council. While this is a process your dedicated Funeral Director will manage on your behalf, being aware of the requirements can also help provide transparency in the process and potentially introduce options you may not have otherwise considered. 

 

List Of Cemeteries In Dundee

Dundee City Council manages 7 cemeteries in Dundee in which you can currently purchase burial plots.

For more information, including the locations of dedicated plots for specific religions, please see the Council website.

(Please note that it is not currently possible to be buried in The Howff Cemetary in the city centre. The last burial at this location took place in 1938 and it’s since become a protected site.)

Dundee also has a crematorium located on McAlpine Road, Dundee, DD1 3FD.

 

Cost Of Burial Plots In Dundee

The cost of burials in Dundee is directly managed by Dundee City Council. All fees are subject to change and are usually revised annually with the current fees always available via the Council’s website. Please note fees apply to anyone aged 18 or older at the time of passing – as of April 1st 2021, there is no burial or cremation charge for when a child has died (a child is classified as anyone who is 17 or younger and also includes stillborn births).

 

Understanding Terminology Relating To Burials 

When looking at options for purchasing a burial plot, you may come across some technical or unfamiliar terminology which may require further explanation. This may include:

 

Interments In Purchased Ground

This is the process of burying a person in a plot that has already been bought and pre-arranged – often by the family or in advance by the deceased.  

Example: The deceased may have expressed wishes to be buried alongside relatives, their spouse, or other designated plot. The plot is purchased in advance so the funeral can go ahead as planned.

 

Interment Of Cremated Remains

This refers to burying the ashes of someone who has been cremated.

Example: Following cremation, the ashes do not always need to be displayed publicly in an urn, they can be buried in a small plot at a cemetery (often called a half lair).

 

Interments In Semi-Private Grounds

This is a burial in a cemetery area that offers limited access or additional privacy compared to the general grounds. 

Example: A family may choose a semi-private area in a cemetery to minimise footfall around the plot site.

 

Sale Of Lair

A “lair” is another term for a burial plot and so, the sale of a lair refers to purchasing a plot where someone can be buried. A burial cannot take place without a designated lair. 

Example: When arranging a burial, a family might buy a lair in a local cemetery for future use and it’s also possible to purchase a larger lair that can fit more than one coffin.

 

Fees For Sale Of Lair (Inclusive of Headstone Foundation)

This refers to the cost of purchasing a burial plot with additional work to create the foundation needed to support a headstone.

Example: Where a headstone is required, this fee covers the cost of the plot itself alongside ensuring a headstone can be supported. 

 

Fee For Title Deeds

This is a charge for issuing legal documents that prove ownership of a burial plot.

Example: Families may choose to pay for a title deed to document the ownership period of the burial plot, especially in instances where more than one person may eventually be buried at the site.

 

Fee For Perpetuities

This is a fee for the long-term maintenance and upkeep of a burial plot.  

Example: Families may wish to pay this fee to ensure the plot is cared for, including the removal of weeds or rubbish, or the cleaning of the headstone.

 

Sale Of Half Lair

Some cemeteries allow the purchase of a half-sized plot which can be used for cremated remains.  

Example: A family may purchase a half lair to give the deceased’s ashes a final resting place that can be visited by loved ones more regularly instead of keeping the ashes at home.

 

Permission To Scatter Ashes

Cemeteries or private locations often require permission to scatter ashes on their grounds. It’s best to check with the Council which areas are included within this, or if you wish to scatter ashes on private ground, you may need to seek additional approval.

 

Exhumation Fee

This fee covers the cost of digging up a buried casket, usually for relocation to another cemetery or for other legal reasons.

 

Family History Research Fee

Dundee City Council offers a service to enable a person’s ancestry to be traced back through the centuries or to find living members of their family using Scotland’s burials, births, and marriages archives. This can be requested by filling out a form on the Council website.

Example: If someone is interested in their ancestry, this research might provide information about when their relatives died, where they are buried, and if there are surviving family members living in Scotland.

 

Headstone Permission And Inspection Fee

This fee covers the process of approving and inspecting a new or replacement memorial or headstone to ensure it meets cemetery regulations. 

Example: If a family wishes to install a new headstone at a burial plot, this inspection will ensure the foundations are able to support the new stone and advise whether additional work is required to ensure the headstone can be kept securely in place.

 

Memorial Mason Registration Fee

This fee is applicable to masons who work on memorials rather than the families who are purchasing a headstone, though it’s worth ensuring that if you wish to work with a specific stonemason they are registered to work at your chosen cemetery. 

 

Memorial Plaques

A memorial plaque is smaller in size than a headstone and usually sits less elevated from the ground. They are commonly used in place of a headstone when burying cremated remains, but can also be used on a grave. 

 

New Lairs: Including Half Lair, 6ft Lair, and 7ft Lair

Burial plots in the UK are purchased for a limited time, with deeds not exceeding 100 years (though sometimes a deed may be valid for fewer years, e.g. 50 years, with the option of incremental extensions up to 100 years). Once the deed expires, lair ownership goes back to the Council and can be purchased again by someone else. The creation of a new lair, however, involves creating a brand new, previously unused plot which is why it’s more expensive than the purchase of an existing lair. A new lair can be half-sized (for ashes), a 6ft lair which is a standard full-size plot, or a 7ft lair which is deeper so that more than one casket can be buried at the same site (usually to keep family or spouses together in their final resting place). 

 

Speak to our team at your nearest James Ashton & Son branch in Dundee and St Andrews:

1, 1a Cardean Street, Dundee, Angus, DD4 6PS

188 High Street, Lochee, Dundee, Angus, DD2 3DN

132 – 136 Hilltown, Dundee, Angus, DD3 7BJ

56 Largo Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8RP (Macgregors)

Planning a funeral can be a daunting task, but it is important to remember that you are not alone. Your dedicated James Ashton & Son Funeral Director will be there to help you along every step of the way! They will work with you to create a funeral and lasting tribute that is personal and meaningful, and they will be there to offer support to you and your family during this difficult time.