Planning a funeral is emotionally draining and it can be hard to get full visibility on costs. In Scotland, burial and cemetery fees are set by each local council (the “burial authority”) and can vary a lot depending on the council area, whether the deceased or applicant was a local resident, the type of lair (grave) or ashes plot, and extra services such as weekend burials or memorial foundations.
Below you’ll find a council-by-council list of official pages where you can find the current burial / cemetery / bereavement fees or request them directly. Click the link for each council to see the most accurate, up-to-date charges for that area — and always check for resident vs non-resident rates and extra charges (weekends, oversized coffins, memorials, re-openings).
Scotland — Council burial pages (click to view fees & guidance)
- Aberdeen City Council — Burial, cremation & memorial charges.
https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/births-deaths-and-ceremonies/deaths-and-bereavement/burial-cremation-and-memorial-charges-0. - Aberdeenshire Council — Burial ground charges & lair purchase information.
https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/communities-and-events/bereavement/burial-grounds-fees. - Angus Council — Burial charges and lair information.
https://www.angus.gov.uk/births_deaths_and_ceremonies/burials_and_memorials/burial_charges. - Argyll & Bute Council — Cremation and burial fees (includes woodland / green burial options).
https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/births-deaths-and-marriages/deaths/cremation-and-burial-fees. - City of Edinburgh Council — Burial & cremation prices (PDF and guidance).
https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/22815/burial-and-cremation-prices. - Clackmannanshire Council — Cemeteries, burial service info and charges.
https://www.clacks.gov.uk/community/cemeteriesandburialservices/ - Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles) — Burial grounds fees (island community charges & guidance).
https://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/business/fees-and-charges/fees-and-charges-cleansing/burial-grounds - Dumfries & Galloway Council — Arranging a burial and published fee table.
https://www.dumfriesandgalloway.gov.uk/births-marriages-civil-partnerships-deaths/funerals-burials-cremations/arrange-burial. dumfriesandgalloway.gov.uk - Dundee City Council — Burial ground charges and woodland burial details.
https://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/service-area/neighbourhood-services/environment/burial-ground-charges-including-woodland-burials. - East Ayrshire Council — Burial fees (including lair purchase and green burials).
https://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/CouncilAndGovernment/BirthMarriageAndDeath/Deaths/Burials/Burialcharges.aspx. - East Dunbartonshire Council — Bereavement services page with the burial ground charges scale.
https://www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk/services/a-z-of-services/births-deaths-marriages-citizenship/bereavement-services/. - East Lothian Council — Burial services and burial ground charges (lair purchase and interment fees).
https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/info/210565/birth_marriage_and_death/12122/burial_services/3. - East Renfrewshire Council — Cemeteries & burials page with fees / lair details.
https://eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/cemeteries-and-burials. - Falkirk Council — Burial ground fees and crematorium charges (detailed fee pages).
https://www.falkirk.gov.uk/deaths/fees-and-charges/burial-ground-fees-and-charges. - Fife Council — Bereavement Services price list (PDF) — lair charges & interment fees.
https://www.fife.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/333910/Fife_Council_Bereavement_Services_Price_List_25-26.pdf. - Glasgow City Council — Cemeteries & cremations (lair purchase and interment fees).
https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/article/9549/Cemeteries-and-Cremations. - Highland Council — Burials and cremations (charges page with weekday/weekend rates).
https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/640/birth_marriage_and_death/322/burials_and_cremations/7. Highland Council - Inverclyde Council — Charging booklet and burial & cremation fees (PDF & FAQs).
https://www.inverclyde.gov.uk/assets/attach/17044/charging-booklet.pdf. Inverclyde Council - Midlothian Council — Arranging a burial and burial ground charges page.
https://www.midlothian.gov.uk/info/640/birth_marriage_and_death/327/arranging_a_burial/2. - Moray Council — Burial ground charges and news on rates (burial charges page).
http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_51988.html - North Ayrshire Council — Burial fees (resident / non-resident rates & lair purchases).
https://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/birth-deaths-marriages/deaths/burial-fees. - North Lanarkshire Council — Cemeteries service fees (interment, ashes, lair info).
https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/births-marriages-and-deaths/deaths/cemeteries/cemeteries-service/cemeteries-service-fees. - Orkney Islands Council — Burial services & burial ground charges (lair sales and excavation costs).
https://www.orkney.gov.uk/our-services/law-and-licensing/births-marriages-deaths-and-burials/burial-services/. - Perth & Kinross Council — Burial and cremation fees (interment and ashes charges).
https://www.pkc.gov.uk/article/14045/Burial-and-cremation-fees. - Renfrewshire Council — Cemeteries page with lair & interment cost information.
https://www1.renfrewshire.gov.uk/article/2552/Cemeteries. - Scottish Borders Council — Burial fees & charges (interment, ashes & resident/non-resident info).
https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/burials-cemeteries/burial-fees-charges. - Shetland Islands Council — Burial charges for island communities (see gov/islands guidance and local council pages).
(Shetland burial costs referenced in Scottish Government island communities guidance). Scottish Government - South Ayrshire Council — Burial fees (lair purchases, ashes plots and woodland options).
https://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/article/30007/Burial-fees. - South Lanarkshire Council — Bereavement services—burial & cremation charges (detailed fee tables).
https://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk/info/200209/deaths/143/bereavement_services_-_burial_and_cremation/5. - Stirling Council — Lair purchase and service charges (burial, ashes and woodland options).
https://www.stirling.gov.uk/births-deaths-and-marriages/burials-and-cremations/lair-purchase-and-service-charges/. - West Dunbartonshire Council — Burials & cremations cost information (resident & non-resident rates).
https://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/birth-marriage-death/burials-and-cremations/burials-and-cremations-cost-information/burial-charges/. - West Lothian Council — Cemeteries, lair purchases and interment fees (schedule of fees PDF – see page 58).
https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/media/6420/Schedule-of-Fees-Charges-and-Contributions-2025-26/pdf/Fees__Charges_2025-26.pdf.
How to use this list (practical steps)
- Open the council link for the cemetery you need. The page will usually have a table or downloadable PDF of fees. (If the council doesn’t publish a full table, they will give contact details to request the latest fees.)
- Check resident vs non-resident prices. Many councils charge higher rates if the deceased or applicant was not a local council tax payer.
- Decide which option you need. Full coffin burial, burial of cremated remains, woodland burial, re-openings or additional depths, each has its own charge.
- Watch for extras. Weekend/public-holiday surcharges, large coffin charges and memorial foundations are commonly listed separately.
- If in doubt, call the council bereavement or cemetery office. Funeral directors can also obtain these fees on your behalf but it’s wise to verify directly.
Final thought — how The Farewell Guide can help
At The Farewell Guide we aim to make this practical, heart-heavy work easier. Use our platform to:
- Keep all funeral wishes and practical details in one place.
- Find and compare local funeral directors who know the local council procedures and cemetery rules.