Every council in Scotland sets rules for the memorials in its cemeteries. Every new stone, and most work on existing ones, needs a permit. Here's what that means in practice, and why you never have to deal with any of it yourself.
Why the rules exist
Council regulations cover memorial sizes, foundations and fixing methods, mostly for safety: a headstone is a heavy piece of granite, and it must stand securely for decades. Councils also inspect existing memorials for stability, and may lay flat a stone they judge unsafe, which is why re-fixing a leaning family stone is worth doing before the council does it less gently.
What varies from council to council
Each council area around us, Glasgow City, East Dunbartonshire, Stirling, North and South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, publishes its own memorial regulations. They differ in the details: maximum heights and widths, lawn-section rules, foundation specifications and permit fees. Some cemeteries, or sections within them, have their own further restrictions.
Who can apply
Only the lair holder (the person named on the burial rights) can authorise a new memorial or work on an existing one. If the lair holder has passed away, the council will ask for the rights to be transferred first, a common situation, and one we can talk you through.
What we handle for you
- We confirm the cemetery's rules before a design is agreed, so nothing is proposed that can't be approved.
- We prepare and submit the permit application and pay the fee; it's included in our price.
- We build foundations and fix memorials to the council's current standards, so the stone passes every future stability inspection.
The short version
The rules are real, but they are our job, not yours. Tell us the cemetery, or just the town, and by the time you're choosing granite and wording, the paperwork side is already understood and priced in. If you have a question about a particular cemetery, ask us or call 0141 762 3733; after nearly a century working across these councils, we usually know the answer from memory.