Scattering Ashes in the UK: Where You Can, Who to Ask and What to Say

There's no law against scattering ashes in the UK, and you can do it in most places as long as whoever owns the land agrees. On your own land you don't need anyone's permission, and in England you don't need a licence for rivers, lakes or the sea either, provided you follow a few simple rules about where and how.

The simplest choices are your own garden, where nobody's permission is needed, or a crematorium's garden of remembrance, which the crematorium can arrange for you. For everywhere else, the table below shows who to ask.

Do you need permission to scatter ashes?

You need the permission of whoever owns or manages the place, and on your own land that's you. Ask in writing if you can, so there's no confusion on the day.

Asking costs nothing in most places. Some landowners attach conditions, such as scattering outside opening hours or leaving no flowers or plaques behind.

Places that ask you not to scatter ashes

Ashes contain a lot of calcium and phosphate and have a high pH, so when many families choose the same spot, the soil and the plants growing there can change. That's why a few well-loved places discourage scattering:

• The Royal Parks in London discourage it and suggest the garden of remembrance at Brompton Cemetery instead. In exceptional circumstances, a park manager may make a set area available.
• Eryri National Park Authority asks people not to scatter ashes on the summit of Yr Wyddfa and removes any plaques left there.
• The Woodland Trust won't allow scattering in ancient woodland or other sensitive habitats. You can ask about its other woods, and it doesn't charge.
• Some cemeteries say no to scattering on graves, because each grave belongs to a family.

If you have a mountain or a wood in mind, the lower slopes are a kinder choice than the summit. Spreading the ashes thinly over a wider area also puts less into any one patch of ground.

Scattering ashes in a river or lake

In England you don't need permission to scatter ashes in a river, stream or lake, as long as you follow the Environment Agency's guidance. Its main concern is the wreaths, ribbons and keepsakes that go into the water with the ashes, because they can contain plastic and metal.

• Choose a spot at least 1km upstream of any point where water is taken out of the river (an abstraction point).
• Keep away from buildings, marinas and anyone swimming or fishing.
• Scatter close to the surface of the water rather than from a bridge.
• Pick a calm day, so the ashes don't blow back over people nearby.
• Leave wreaths, ribbons and plastic flowers at home.
• If the bank is private land, ask the owner before you stand on it.

If a site will be used again and again, for example by a faith community, the Environment Agency may want to assess it first. Some areas already have riverside sites set aside for ashes, such as the one beside Queens Bridge in Kempston, Bedford.

In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, check the advice of Natural Resources Wales, SEPA or the Northern Ireland Environment Agency before you scatter on inland water.

Scattering ashes at sea or on a beach

You don't need a licence or anyone's permission to scatter ashes at sea, according to the Marine Management Organisation. A marine licence is only needed to bury a body at sea.

Many families hire a boat for the day, and the National Association of Funeral Directors puts the cost of a chartered boat at roughly £150 to £500. If you'd rather lower the ashes into the water in an urn, choose one made to dissolve, such as the Limbo Samsara, which dissolves within about ten minutes in water, and check with the Marine Management Organisation before you go.

Many beaches are run by the local council, so that's the place to start. Scatter below the high-tide line, away from paths and beach entrances, and the next tide will carry the ashes out.

Some families dig a shallow trench in the sand at low tide, pour the ashes in and wait for the water to come in, which avoids any trouble with the wind. Leave balloons and sky lanterns at home, because some councils ban them on their beaches.

How to scatter ashes

The scattering itself is usually short. Families often say a few words, share a memory or play a song, then take turns to scatter a little each.

• Check the wind first and stand with it behind you, so the ashes travel away from everyone.
• Hold the container low, around waist height, and pour gently instead of throwing.
• Expect more weight than you'd think: an adult's ashes weigh around 2 to 4kg, about the same as two to four bags of sugar.
• Bring gloves and a spoon if people want to scatter by hand, plus a bag for the empty container.
• Ask one person to take photos, because it's often over within a few minutes.

There are a few ways to do it. Casting means pouring the ashes from a tube so they drift away on the breeze, trenching means laying them in a shallow line of soil or sand, and raking means spreading them over soil and raking them in, which works well if you plan to plant something there.

A scatter tube is easier to handle than a heavy urn. Our printed tubes contain no metal or plastic and have a push-in tab that opens just before you scatter, and the large size holds 2.4 litres, enough for an adult of up to about 10 stone. The woven willow, seagrass and bamboo tubes hold 3.8 litres and have a cotton bag inside that you can tie and untie, so you can scatter in more than one place.

What to say when scattering ashes

Whatever you say can be short. Their name, why this place mattered and a simple goodbye are enough, and it's fine to read from a card.

If the words won't come, one of these might help you start:

• "We've brought you back to the beach where you taught us all to swim."
• "This was your favourite view, so this is where we'll come to find you."
• "Thank you for everything, Dad. Rest easy here."
• "You walked this path in every kind of weather. Now it's yours for good."

Nobody has to lead the ceremony. If you'd like help, a humanist celebrant can lead a non-religious one, or your own minister or faith leader can say prayers.

Poems for scattering ashes

These poems are old enough to be out of copyright, so you can print them in an order of service:

• "Remember" by Christina Rossetti (1862), which begins "Remember me when I am gone away".
• "Crossing the Bar" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1889), about setting out to sea at sunset.
• "Requiem" by Robert Louis Stevenson, with the line "Home is the sailor, home from sea".
• "Death is nothing at all" by Henry Scott Holland, taken from a sermon he gave in 1910.
• The closing lines of Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" (1855), in which the poet gives himself back to the earth.
• "On Death" from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (1923).

For a non-religious scattering, the Whitman, Gibran and Stevenson poems work well, as does Rossetti's "Remember". Newer favourites such as "Do not stand at my grave and weep" and David Harkins' "She Is Gone" are still in copyright, so check before printing them.

How much does it cost to scatter ashes in the UK?

Scattering on your own land costs nothing, and so does scattering in a Woodland Trust wood once it has agreed. Elsewhere, these were typical charges in 2026:

• Crematoria often scatter ashes in their garden of remembrance free of charge if the cremation took place there. Reading Crematorium charges £100 for ashes cremated elsewhere.
• National Trust properties may ask for a donation, and Buckland Abbey suggests £100.
• A chartered boat for a scattering at sea costs roughly £150 to £500.
• A celebrant to lead the ceremony usually costs £150 to £350.
• Printed scatter tubes start at around £15.

Scattering ashes abroad

Every country has its own rules, so contact the embassy of the country you're visiting before you travel, and get the landowner's permission there just as you would at home. Our guide to taking ashes on a plane covers airline rules and the documents to pack.

Questions about scattering ashes

Can you scatter ashes anywhere in the UK?

Almost anywhere, as long as the landowner agrees. In England you can also scatter on rivers, lakes and the sea without permission if you follow the guidance, although a few places, such as the Royal Parks and the summit of Yr Wyddfa, ask you not to.

Is it illegal to scatter ashes without permission?

No specific law bans scattering ashes, but you still need the landowner's permission. Once ashes are scattered they can't be gathered up again, so it's worth asking first.

Can you scatter ashes in a cemetery?

Sometimes. Richmond's cemeteries don't allow it because each grave belongs to a family, while Brighton and Hove lets grave owners scatter ashes on their own grave with staff present, so ask the cemetery office.

Do you need permission to scatter ashes on a beach?

Not usually, but check first. Many public beaches are run by the council, which may have its own rules, and a private beach needs the owner's agreement. Scatter below the high-tide line and away from paths.

Can you scatter ashes in a public park?

It depends on the council. West Suffolk doesn't allow it in its parks, Richmond allows it in most of its parks if you follow its conditions, and Swansea needs no prior permission, so check with your council's bereavement team.

How long can you wait before scattering ashes?

As long as you like. There's no time limit in the UK, and ashes in a sealed urn keep indefinitely, so many families wait for an anniversary or until everyone can be there.

Do you have to scatter all of the ashes?

No. Many families keep a little in a keepsake urn or share some between relatives before scattering the rest, and our guide to dividing ashes explains how.

If you're planning a scattering, our scatter tubes for ashes come printed or in natural woven materials, and every order has free UK delivery in 2-3 working days.