Local authority revisits western extension for Dornoch cemetery
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Highland Council is looking again at extending Dornoch's Proncynain Cemetery on its western edge as the graveyard approaches capacity.
A parcel of land to the west was previously purchased by the authority for an extension, but the plan was put on hold after the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) expressed concerns over ground water.
However, attempts since then to find alternative land for a graveyard have not borne fruit.
East Sutherland and Edderton ward councillor Jim McGillivray told a Zoom meeting of Dornoch Community Council earlier this month: "The thinking is that we should expand immediately to the west on ground previously purchased for that purpose.
"It is reckoned it will be fine and provide enough capacity to deal with the situation."
Cllr McGillivray said he had been flagging up the decreasing capacity at Proncynain, which is located on the B9168 Poles Road, continually over the last 10 years. He added that parking at the graveyard was also a problem.
The existing cemetery has 562 lairs of which 510 are full. It is anticipated that capacity will be reached in around three years' time.
A Highland Council spokesman confirmed that a western extension was "actively being evaluated by the infrastructure and development design team".
He revealed that additional test digs on the land in question were to be carried out to determine what, if any, "additional drainage mitigating actions" were required to conform with SEPA guidelines.
The spokesman said: "If the test digs deliver favourable results that show groundwater issues can be dealt with, then it is hoped a development would start this year."
A burial grounds monitoring report is expected to be presented to Sutherland County Committee at some point this year.
