Council pauses gravestone stabilisation work branded 'disgraceful' by locals

Perth and Kinross Council has paused gravestone stabilisation works in Aberfeldy after residents were horrified that headstones were being “socketed” so deeply that you could no longer read all of the inscriptions.

Sickened relatives slammed the move as “disgusting” and “disgraceful”.

The safety work was being carried out following two incidents in the UK where children were crushed to death by unstable headstones.

In April 2026, Perth and Kinross Council resolved to improve its Memorial Safety in Council Cemeteries programme following the distress it had caused to bereaved loved ones, and pledged to engage better with them.

The move was brought forward at the April meeting of the finance and resources committee, after Highland Perthshire councillor Xander McDade raised concern about the distress caused by the way the PKC had implemented the programme in Pitlochry and Aberfeldy.

Provost McDade said: “There needs to be greater awareness both of the process and of planned inspections before they occur.”

But there was further distress this week when locals reported gravestones in Aberfeldy Cemetery being “socketed” so deep you could no longer read all the names and inscriptions. One couple even reported they had only just arrived at the graveyard in time to stop their parents’ headstone from being partially buried.

One 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 it as “like a scene from a horror movie”.

Another said: “The council are out of order doing this, it’s so hurtful and disrespectful.”

Following the concerns, the council has now stopped its work in Aberfeldy for the time being.

A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said: “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.

“We carry out these checks and make memorials safe following the introduction of national legislation after an eight-year-old boy died playing in a cemetery in Glasgow in 2015.

“However, it should also be noted that the primary responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of headstones rests with the owner(s) 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/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.

“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.”

Highland Perthshire ward councillor John Duff hopes “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.”