Gardener/Gravedigger - ARB18503

Argyll & Bute Council; Dunoon; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Generous leave entitlement

Cycle to work scheme

Wellbeing initiatives

Job summary

Argyll and Bute Council seeks a Gardener/Gravedigger to cover the Cowal area. The role includes burial duties, grave preparation and grounds maintenance across cemeteries, with a focus on health and safety and a positive work environment.

Experience in Horticulture or Burial Operations is essential. The post is permanent, full-time, 37 hours per week, with a range of employee benefits including pension, generous leave and flexible working where possible.

Qualifications

• Evidence of experience in Horticulture, Burial Operations, Landscaping or Grounds Maintenance.

Responsibilities

• Undertake burial duties including location, preparation and digging of graves, with shoring and shuttering as required.
• Maintain cemetery grounds and grass areas: grass cutting, hedge trimming, planting, pruning, clearing leaves and litter.
• Clean toilets and ensure general upkeep of grounds across the Cowal area.

Skills

Gardening

Gravedigging

Horticulture

Job description

Service: Roads and Infrastructure

Closing Date: Tuesday 15th September 2026

A vacancy has arisen for a Gardener/Gravedigger to work in the Cowal area for Argyll and Bute, one of Scotland's most beautiful areas.

Argyll and Bute is one of Scotland's most stunning areas. As its award-winning council, we play a vital part in the day-to-day life and long-term future of our beautiful and diverse communities. Our unwavering purpose is to make Argyll and Bute the place to be, the place where people want to live, to work and do business. And we are committed to making the council the place to have a great career, by providing excellent benefits and a friendly, dynamic working culture so that each of our 5000 colleagues can deliver services that help our corner of Scotland thrive. Join us to make a difference.

The successful candidate will undertake, individually or as part of a team all duties involved in the burial of the dead for example location, preparation and digging of graves, including necessary shoring and shuttering etc. Maintain the grounds of the various cemeteries and grass areas throughout the area, this will include grass cutting, hedge trimming, planting, pruning, clearing leaves, litter and cleaning of toilets.

Evidenced experience in working with one of the following disciplines; Horticulture, Burial Operations, Landscaping or Grounds Maintenance with an understanding of a positive Health and Safety Culture is essential to this post.

This is a permanent post, working 37 hours.

Our employees make good things happen in the day-to-day life and for the longer term future of Argyll and Bute. We want you to feel valued working for us. We offer various benefits to support you, such as a competitive salary, pension scheme, generous leave entitlement, cycle to work scheme, discounts on gym memberships and leisure centres, wellbeing initiatives, and opportunities for learning and career growth. We also embrace a modern approach to work, offering a flexible first approach where possible to requests from our employees to how they work.

We care about our people and the world around us and always aim to do the right thing. From employee recognition schemes to environmental policies we have many initiatives in place to help us look after the things we all care about.

Learn more here Argyll and Bute Employee Recognition Programme , Disability Confident , Armed Forces , Fair Work First Statement , Equality and Fairness , Climate Change , Flexible and Hybrid Working Policy

Argyll and Bute Council recognises the numerous benefits of a positive work-life balance to the wellbeing and productivity of our employees. We will take a flexible first approach to requests from our employees to change the way that they work. While we must balance such requests with the need to ensure the quality of the important services we deliver is not compromised, we will ensure that each request is given careful consideration with a view to achieving a positive outcome wherever possible.

Applicants should note that:-

• The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, (Exclusions and Exceptions) (Scotland) Order 2013, as amended, applies to this post.

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about our commitment to this please visit Equality & Diversity Policy .