Scotland’s first crematorium to offer immersive funerals, or “funerals of the future”, is due to open this autumn near Edinburgh.
Developed by Westerleigh Group, the new East Lothian Crematorium will utilise state-of-the-art technology to provide personalised funerals, according to a press release.
Mourners at the crematorium will see projections of various themes on the canvas wall at the front of the chapel, accompanied by coordinated soundscapes and lighting.
This will allow families to create funerals that “truly reflect the individuality, interests and passions of the person being remembered”.
In the waiting room, families will have the option to display 25 digital photos of their loved one on a gallery wall.
East Lothian Crematorium is part of Westerleigh Group, one of the UK’s largest independent owners and operators of crematoria and cemeteries.
Experiential funerals in the UK
The company has 41 other sites in England, Scotland and Wales, including the world’s first experiential funeral venue at a crematorium in Gedling, Nottinghamshire.
This opened in November 2024 and “quickly proved to be very popular”, said Westerleigh Group.
Darren Daughters, head of division at Westerleigh Group said the new crematorium “will be one of the most modern, environmentally-friendly facilities of its kind in the country”.
“Since the technology was introduced at Gedling, we know that 99 percent of families who have held a funeral there have chosen to have a canvas wall, or elements of it, included within their services,” he added.
“The feedback Gedling Crematorium has received has been very positive, with those who have seen it saying that it added a truly personal touch to the funeral.”
For the canvas wall, Westerleigh Group offers “a wide range of themes”, Daughters said, “whether it’s a waterfall or a seasonal background, or even a football stadium”.
“The technology offers the chance to make funerals even more uniquely personal and meaningful than ever,” he added.
Images courtesy of Westerleigh Group
