Pipers may now play at Highland funerals without asking for permission in new rules agreed by north councillors.
Former piper councillor Roddy Balfour branded the proposal ‘petty and ridiculous’ and said it made fools of the council in the eyes of the wider world.
The proposal has now been dropped in the new burial and crematorium management rules which will come into force next month, and remain in force for the next decade.
Dingwall councillor Margaret Paterson said she had never had so many letters from pipers about it.
She said: “It went all over Scotland that we were talking about stopping the pipes and common sense has now prevailed.
“We could never forbid our wonderful pipes and the comfort they give to so many people.”
Inverness South councillor Duncan Macpherson had also questioned the proposal when it was first mooted.
He said after hearing the idea had been dropped: “The playing of bagpipes with their evocative tunes have long been a tradition of many Highland and military funerals.
“The Black Watch famously played at the funeral of President Kennedy in November 1963.
“A Scottish piper played ‘Flowers of the Forest’ at the recent funeral of HRH Prince Philip at Windsor.
“The playing of bagpipes is a fundamental part of our Highland culture, and I’m glad that common sense has prevailed and now our Highland traditions for bagpipe music at funerals can be fully retained.”
A proposed rule about families advising the council if a large number of attendees was expected has also been dropped.
Meanwhile environmental health manager Alan Yates reassured councillors that an issue of concern in the maintenance of burial grounds, the placing of goods around a grave, would be dealt with sensitively by staff.
The new rules seek to protect grounds maintenance staff from hazards caused by glass and pottery items placed further than 18” from the headstone.
Mr Yates said staff would approach families to resolve situations sensitively.
Another bone of contention which sprang into prominence last year was the ‘disrespectful’ behaviour reported by residents of some campers and motorhome users in cemetery car parks in the summer.
The new rules make it clear that burial ground car parks not for overnight parking, and Mr Yates said there will be signage to support this.
“Car parks provided at burial grounds are for legitimate cemetery users such as use by funeral parties; council staff and stonemasons; families and the bereaved to visit plots; and for visitors researching their genealogy and local history.
“The use for overnight parking, camping and motor-homing is not permitted.”
Mr Yates added that the council is considering the use of traffic regulation orders at burial ground car parks to enable further legal controls on use of the car parks.