Cemeteries and memorials

The service is maintained by East Ayrshire Council.

There are 45  cemeteries and churchyards maintained by us.

No. East Ayrshire does not operate a Cremation service.

There are two crematorium facilities in neighbouring authorities and these are:

1. Masonhill Crematorium, Ayr (South Ayrshire Council), Telephone 01292 266051
2. Holmsford Bridge Crematorium, Dreghorn (Private), Telephone 01294 214720

East Ayrshire Council cemeteries are open 24 hours per day.

Cars are restricted to disabled drivers only. There are small car parks at most cemeteries and the public are requested to use these when visiting.

No cars will be permitted prior to a funeral cortege arriving unless specific direction is given by cemetery staff.

All dogs must be kept under proper control by either keeping the dog on a short leash or under close control.

We are required by law to ensure that cemeteries and churchyards are safe places to visit and work.

Not all of the cemeteries are staffed. If you require assistance please contact Bereavement Services.

No, pets are not allowed to be buried in East Ayrshire cemeteries or churchyards.

Yes. A copy of the Charter and information leaflet is available by contacting Bereavement Services.

Registration Services, based at the Burns Monument Centre in Kilmarnock, provide access to Scottish records covering almost 500 years using the ScotlandsPeople Centre software.

You can also contact Bereavement Services.

There will be a charge for this service.

Complaints can be made by contacting Bereavement Services or by completing our online contact us form.

Burials are normally arranged by contacting a funeral director.

However burials can also be arranged independently without using a funeral director by contacting Bereavement Services.

We work in partnership with certain funeral directors to provide Respectful Funeral Service package which is respectful, affordable and local.

Please contact Bereavement Services to find out more.

Yes, view a list of funeral directors or contact Bereavement Services.

Interment times are:

• Monday to Thursday from 9:30am to 2:30pm
• Friday from 9:30am to 2pm

Interments outwith normal working hours will incur an additional charge.

We no longer make a surcharge for non-residents, however a surcharge applies to interments out with normal working hours, including public holidays.

No. There is no requirement to have a religious service.

There are a number of different issues relating to death abroad. Detailed information on repatriation can be found on the following websites along with other helpful advice:

GOV.UK: Death and bereavement

GOV.UK: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)

A funeral director will be able to assist with the repatriation of the deceased.

We have a policy of no pre-sales of lairs. A lair is purchased at the time of arranging a burial.

The following lair types are available:

1. Full body burial lairs
2. Cremation casket lairs
3. Single lairs (Kilmaurs Cemetery)
4. Individual baby lair - private (Kilmarnock and Cumnock Cemeteries)
5. Single baby lair - shared (Kilmarnock and Cumnock Cemeteries)
6. Meadow and woodland burial site (Galston Cemetery)

For further information please refer to the Cemetery Management Rules and Regulations (PDF 77 KB) starting on page 25.

Yes, we offer a choice of lairs within our cemeteries.

For further information please refer to page 32 of the Cemetery Management Rules and Regulations (PDF 77 KB).

Yes, but this will be at the total discretion of East Ayrshire Council.

If you wish to choose a particular lair, please make an appointment with Bereavement Services.

In normal circumstances it would be expected that a burial plot could accommodate:

• three coffins, and
• up to six cremation caskets

However, this may not be achievable due to ground conditions.

If you are arranging an interment, Bereavement Services will let you know about any problems relating to ground conditions as soon as they become aware.

No, the Council continue to own the lair. The lair owner has the Exclusive Right of Burial only.

Yes, the right of burial would be granted to each owner as they pass away or until such times as the lair is declared full.

Where a lair has more than one owner, the Council will only action additional work or erection of a memorial once instruction has been received from all owners.

If lair owners are deceased, their right to erect a memorial or have their name placed on an existing memorial will remain.

Yes, lairs can be transferred.

This must be done via the Council’s procedures which is legally binding (valid Will, Statutory Declaration and Renunciation Form or Form of Assignment). Lairs cannot be transferred by any other means.

Bereavement Services staff will be happy to assist.

Only in certain circumstances and by a legal process. Bereavement Services will be happy to assist.

The lair owner may wish to sell back the lair to the Council at the purchase price.

Under the terms of the Cemetery Management Rules, the Council may, after a period of 50 years, failing interment or transfer of lair, forfeit the right of burial.

Plans can be viewed at our Bereavement Services office. Assistance will also be given to locate a particular lair.

A small local plan of particular lairs maybe available.

Bereavement Services staff will be happy to assist with lair searches. Please note that there may be a charge for this service.

No. Ashes can damage the lawn area and may cause distress to other cemetery users, however you can arrange to inter ashes within a lair.

Contact Bereavement Services for further information.

No. Memorials or artefacts should not be placed in any way over the grassed area of a lair, or any part to be opened or over any adjoining lair.

All artefacts will be removed and stored for a period of 21 days. Thereafter they will be respectfully disposed off.

For further information please refer to the Cemetery Management Rules and Regulations (PDF 77 KB) starting on page 25.

Floral tributes and wreaths remain on a lair for a minimum of 14 days.

Christmas wreaths will be removed in line with notices placed within a cemetery, and anyone wishing to keep these wreaths will need to remove them before the time-frame stated on the notices.

The placing of flowers, artefacts or ornaments on a lair is done at the persons own risk.

The Council will not be liable for the loss of, damage to or destruction of any such items caused by:

• weather
• animals
• theft
• malicious damage
• negligent acts of any person whilst within the cemetery

We reserve the right to remove flowers, artefacts, ornaments if they are not:

• placed at suitable locations at or near the head of a lair
• deteriorated and have become unsightly

No. Planting on lair space is not allowed.

This is due to the soil movement after the interment.

We level lairs approximately two weeks and eight weeks after the initial interment. After this, lairs are monitored and levelled as part of the maintenance.

There may be a need to place soil or soil boxes on lairs next to graves being opened for burial.

This will be for a limited time and all graves will be reinstated.

We apologise for any distress or inconvenience and will make every effort to keep the time that soil and boxes remain on the grave to an absolute minimum.

Only one memorial or headstone will be permitted at the head of lair.

You may also place one flower vase per lair in the space provided at the head of each lair, the crown head or on the base of the memorial.

We do not accept any responsibility for the loss or damage to vases. Glass or pottery containers are not allowed.

Yes. We have a meadow and woodland burial site at Galston Cemetery.

Both these types of lairs allow one full body interment.

Meadow lairs allow for up to six cremation caskets. Woodland lairs cannot accommodate cremation caskets.

There are restrictions. For further information please refer to the Cemetery Management Rules and Regulations (PDF 77 KB) page 35.

There are restrictions. For further information please refer to the Cemetery Management Rules and Regulations (PDF 77 KB) page 35.

This is a personal preference and entirely up to the family and lair owner.

Yes, seating may be allowed in certain areas within a cemetery.

Permission must be requested from Bereavement Services and an application form must be completed.

There is a fee for this service.

Only recognised Accredited Memorial Masons may work within the cemeteries and churchyards of the Council. For example:

• British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons (BRAMM)
• National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM), or
• any other recognised accredited Memorial Mason

List of Accredited Memorial Masons

A full list is available from Bereavement Services or visit monumental masons.

How to order a memorial

Lair owners are required to appoint an Accredited Memorial Mason to work on their behalf. A monumental permit will be issued by the Council to erect, repair, renovate, add inscriptions to memorials.

There is a charge for all applications which includes a foundation where required.

A memorial or headstone is owned by the lair holder. The Council do not own any headstones or memorials on a purchased lair.

The lair owner is legally responsible for the memorial or headstone, any future maintenance and costs.

Staking and tying is a temporary measure.

We shall continue to inspect memorials and shall sheugh (ditch in), lay flat, stake and tie or apply any other suitable method to memorials which have not had any repair/remedial work carried out.

We have to approve inscriptions prior to issuing a permit. Please note that some wording will not be allowed.

Trained staff carry out a visual, manual and if appropriate a mechanical test using a topple tester.

All findings are recorded, stored, and photographs are taken where necessary.

At this time the we do not remove memorials from the cemetery, however the Council reserve the right to remove any dangerous memorials from a cemetery or churchyard.

Memorials are inspected by trained staff. If a memorial is identified as a Category 1 (dangerous), then it is required to be made safe immediately.

We have agreed to stake and tie memorials as a temporary measure. We also sheugh (ditch in) memorials or any other suitable method of making memorials safe.

These procedures are accepted by the Health and Safety Executive and are in-line with Memorial Management guidelines.

Lair owners are reminded that responsibility for maintaining memorials lies with them. If a memorial is unsafe and the lair owner cannot be traced we will make it safe.

Since January 2003 all memorials have been erected to the British Standard 8415 specification by Accredited Memorial Masons.

Category 1 – memorial is dangerous and requires to be made safe immediately.

Category 2 – memorial requires to be re-inspected within one year.

Category 3 – memorial requires to be re-inspected in five years.

A Category 1 memorial requires to be made safe immediately.

Once this has been done we will contact the last known registered lair owner. This may not always be possible as many lairs have not been transferred, or owners have moved away from the original address given without informing the Council.

No. Many memorials and headstones are extremely dangerous, please don't inspect them.

Only Accredited Memorial Masons can carry out improvements or repair work, and before any work can take place a permit is required.

An application form can be requested from Bereavement Services. There is a charge for a permit.

Not at this time.

We may, as part of our safety programme, re-erect a memorial. Lair owners should appoint an Accredited Memorial Mason to carry out all installation and repair works.

Yes. This can be carried out without transfer of lair.

Please contact Bereavement Services.