Dunoon Cemetery - Make the historic Dunoon Cemetery an accessible walking and recreation space to more people, including young people. Highlight the cultural heritage of the cemetery and the opportunities to use the space to improve the health and wellbeing of local people.

Managed by Argyll and Bute Council, Dunoon Cemetery sits on the edge of the town centre close to family housing and the town’s more industrial zone (Hamilton Street). The cemetery is culturally significant and includes war graves and the graves of some of Dunoon’s most significant characters. The peaceful location is also a valuable green space that is currently underutilised for recreation purposes. 

Although the cemetery is open onto Hamilton Street, an historic access route into the cemetery from Valrose Terrace was blocked up many years ago. Poor drainage at the end of the road causes flooding. 

The most direct route to Dunoon Grammar School and Dunoon Hospital from Valrose Terrace is through the graveyard and, as a result, people climb over the wall to cut through the cemetery, causing damage to the external wall. A number of buildings within the site are no longer in use and are now in a state of dereliction and parts of the site are used for green waste.  

Local Place Plan 

• Investigate the potential of reinstating the gate at Valrose Terrace and addressing the flooding, drainage and pathway issues to enable more people, particularly young people, to walk through the cemetery safely. 

• Install heritage interpretation signage in the cemetery to increase the potential use of the cemetery as a destination and learning resource for the community. 

• Ensure bins, including recycling bins, are available for litter and dog mess.  

• Repair stonework at the entrance ways. 

Community Action plan 

• Argyll and Bute Council to work in partnership with local heritage group, health groups and education providers to explore how to make information about the history of the cemetery available to more people. 

• Argyll and Bute Council to work in partnership with local groups to develop a management plan for the cemetery that reduces the risk of vandalism and dog mess, whilst improving access to the facility for the community. 

• Argyll and Bute Council to work with community stakeholders to identify funding and utilise existing maintenance resources more effectively to support a spaces for wellbeing and biodiversity agenda more effectively at a local level.