Perth and Kinross Council has paused gravestone stabilisation works in Aberfeldy after residents were horrified that headstones were being "socketed" so deep that the inscriptions were no longer visible.
Community Outrage Over Socketing
The safety work, which has been branded "disgraceful," has sparked anger following recent assurances from the council that it would improve its Memorial Safety in Council Cemeteries programme after previous distress caused to bereaved loved ones. The council had pledged better engagement with families.
The move to review the programme was brought forward at the April meeting of PKC's Finance and Resources Committee, after Highland Perthshire councillor Xander McDade raised concerns about the distress caused by the implementation in Pitlochry and Aberfeldy. Provost McDade said: "There needs to be greater awareness both of the process and of planned inspections before they occur."
However, further distress emerged this week when locals reported gravestones in Aberfeldy Cemetery being socketed so deep that names and inscriptions could no longer be read. One couple reportedly arrived at the graveyard just in time to stop their parents' headstone from being partially buried.
Residents Voice Concerns
A local resident said: "I wonder how many people they have informed. I know my mum and dad's have a yellow sticker, but we have never had a letter." She added: "I knew they were going to do this to the stones if nothing had been done by families but they only marked them in January/February. It's not giving families enough time to have them fixed. It will destroy the writing if below ground. The council needs to give people more time, as the stonemasons are very busy because of this."
One person described the scene as "like a scene from a horror movie," while another said: "The council are out of order doing this, it's so hurtful and disrespectful."
Council Response and Pause
Following the concerns, PKC has now stopped its works in Aberfeldy for the time being. A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson explained: "All Scottish burial authorities, including private cemeteries, have a statutory responsibility to ensure cemeteries are safe places for all who visit them and our headstone safety inspection programme is essential in protecting the public from unsafe memorials."
The spokesperson noted that these checks follow national legislation introduced after an eight-year-old boy died playing in a cemetery in Glasgow in 2015. However, they emphasised that the primary responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of headstones rests with the owners of the burial lairs.
"Headstones have been carefully laid flat where our trained inspectors, using nationally approved testing techniques, identify that they pose an immediate risk to the public. Where contact details are available, we will contact lair owners to advise them if their headstone has been identified as a public safety risk. However, this can often be more difficult to do where contact details have not been updated by the lair owners or, if they are deceased, by their families or descendants."
"Additionally, if lair owners cannot be traced or do not come forward to repair their headstones, the council will take extra care to temporarily 'socket' (partially bury the headstone in the ground) to provide stability and protect the stone whilst showing as much of the inscription as is safely possible. Should lair owners come forward at any time after that, they can arrange for their own repairs and maintenance to the appropriate standards."
The spokesperson added: "We very much appreciate the sensitivities involved with this programme of necessary works and our Bereavement Services have therefore taken the decision to pause any further socketing in Aberfeldy for the time being while we review the burial lair records and how we have communicated with the local community. Following the last Finance and Resources Committee and as agreed at that time by our Elected Members, officers will be bringing forward a report to the Committee's next meeting on 24 June, recommending some enhancements to engaging more effectively with communities, subject to resources being approved."
Councillor Calls for Improvements
Highland Perthshire ward councillor John Duff hopes that "a number of improvements" can be made with the programme going forward. The Conservative councillor said: "I fully recognise the distress and concern felt by families with loved ones buried at Aberfeldy Cemetery. The headstone safety inspection programme has been a sensitive issue, made more challenging by the records identifying responsibility for individual lairs not being updated over the years."
"I would encourage families to ensure that the lair ownership information for their family graves is kept up to date. The use of socketing was intended as a temporary, practical solution to return memorials to a safe, upright position, while allowing for full reinstatement by lair owners at any time in the future. However, this work has now been paused."
"Alongside several councillor colleagues, I recently met with the Bereavement Team to review the process. I hope that a number of improvements can be made to ensure better communication and awareness, clearer responsibilities, and a more sensitive approach for families going forward."
