When a loved one passes away and the process of organising their funeral begins, it’s important to understand the options available for arranging a burial. Whether you are pre-arranging a funeral plan for yourself or organising a loved one’s funeral, knowing the steps involved can make this challenging task a bit easier.
This guide includes a simplified glossary of common terms you might encounter when arranging a burial, as well as useful links for purchasing a plot through Dundee City Council. Although your dedicated Funeral Director will manage this process on your behalf, being informed about the requirements can provide transparency and potentially introduce options you might not have considered.
List Of Cemeteries In Dundee
Dundee City Council manages 6 cemeteries in Dundee in which you can currently purchase burial plots.
- Balgay Cemetery – 153 Blackwood Ct, Dundee, DD2 2EG
- Barnhill Cemetery – 26 Stracathro Terrace, Broughty Ferry, Dundee, DD5 2PY
- Birkhill Cemetery (including Birkhill Baby Garden) – Templeton Rd, Dundee, DD3 0QG
- Eastern Cemetery – Arbroath Road, Dundee, DD4 7RH
- Pitkerro Grove Cemetery – Drumsturdy Rd, Dundee, DD5 3NY
- Western Cemetery – Perth Rd, Dundee, DD2 1NJ
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, so the sale of a lair refers to purchasing a plot where someone can be buried. A burial cannot take place without the permission from the proprietor of that said lair.
Example: When arranging a burial, a family might buy a lair in a local cemetery for future use. A lair can be opened at 6 feet, allowing for 2 full interments, or at 7 feet, allowing for 3 full interments for an additional fee.
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 mandatory fee covers the long-term maintenance and upkeep of a burial plot.
Example: Families are required to pay this fee to ensure the plot is well-maintained, which includes tasks like removing weeds, cutting the grass, removing rubbish and checking the safety 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.
