Choosing a burial or cremation?

A significant choice in arranging a funeral is whether to have a burial or cremation.  For some it may depend on family traditions, religious or cultural observance, practical considerations or simply a personal preference. 

Cremations

  Aberdeen Crematorium , Hazlehead which has two chapels, the West with 270 seats, or the East with 96 seats. These chapels can also be used prior to a burial.  The regular ceremony time is 25 minutes unless additional time is booked.

Baldarroch Crematorium is at Crathes, near Banchory and has one chapel seating approximately 150.  The regular ceremony time is 30 minutes unless additional time is booked. 

 Both locations have live stream and multimedia facilities, good parking and are well sign posted. 

Following a cremation, there is the important decision of what to do with the cremated remains (ashes). Some people may wish to retain them, or perhaps scatter them in a favourite place or have them interred in a cemetery. We can help consider all of these matters, supply a suitable choice of urns or organise individually made memorial jewellery.

Traditional Burial

For those considering burial  in Aberdeen City, new graves can be purchased at Hazlehead, Dyce, and Newhills Cemeteries. There are a number of Cemeteries in Aberdeenshire.  While the whole service can be held at the graveside, often a service prior to the interment will be held perhaps in our service room, a church or crematorium chapel which can still be used prior to a burial. 

We will discuss with you whether there are to be family to carry the coffin. Usually 8 family or close friends are then invited to take cords for the lowering of the coffin. 

 Although no new ground is available in the older cemeteries such as Springbank, Allenvale, Grove, Trinity, Nellfield, St Peters or Peterculter, we can help make the necessary arrangements where an existing family lair is to be used.  This may include tracing the lair based on previous burials in order to establish whether there is space in the lair for a further burial, who owns the rights to the lair and who may authorise a burial.

 Following a burial, we can provide a full memorial service , whether for additional inscriptions or new grave stones.

Woodland Burial 

There are two Woodland Burial sites in Aberdeenshire which we work closely with.  Clovery Woods of Rest , near Fyvie, and Cothiemuir Hill near Alford.  Both sites offer natural woodland burial.  They do not allow gravestones to be placed and required that an "eco-friendly" coffin be used.  These sites can be used whether for religious or non-religious funerals.  They also allow for interment of ashes following cremation.