Scotland’s newest crematorium offers state-of-the-art funerals

The brand-new East Lothian Crematorium & Memorial Gardens has officially opened and is the first in Scotland to offer families the chance to experience immeasurable personalisation to their loved ones’ funeral service.

The crematorium, at Musselburgh, near Edinburgh, has been fitted out with state-of-the-art technology to offer experiential funeral services, enabling the bereaved to make their loved ones’ farewells more uniquely personal than ever before.

At the heart of the newly-opened crematorium is a welcoming, comfortable chapel, which has seating for up to 112 people, with additional standing space provided by the entrance lobby and the chapel’s canopy.

Inside the chapel, mourners will find themselves immersed in a specially curated theme for their loved one’s service, thanks to the dynamic projections onto ‘the canvas’ - the entire wall at the front of the chapel - accompanied by harmoniously co-ordinated soundscapes and lighting.

The canvas enables families to personalise services to an unprecedented level, to truly reflect the individuality, interests and passions of the person being remembered.

Prior to entering the chapel, families will be able to see details of their loved one’s service on the chapel’s welcome screens and have a moment of reflection in the waiting room which has been fitted with a digital photo gallery to display loved one’s images.  

East Lothian Crematorium & Memorial Gardens is part of Westerleigh Group, one of the UK’s largest independent owners and operators of crematoria and cemeteries, with 42 sites in England, Scotland and Wales, and which is trusted by more families than any other provider to deliver funerals for their loved ones.

All of Westerleigh's locations are set within beautifully landscaped gardens of remembrance which provide peaceful places for people to visit and reflect, while benefitting from exceptional care and support from its teams.

Manager David Lees said: “Now that we are open, we are able to start supporting local families with the exceptional care and standards of service that Westerleigh Group is well-known for.

“We’re particularly pleased to be the first crematorium in Scotland – and only the third in the world – to have this incredible technology which takes the funeral experience to a whole new level.

“The world’s first experiential super venue was introduced at our sister site Gedling Crematorium, in Nottinghamshire, last year followed by Basildon and District Crematorium in Essex this summer.

“Both crematoria were refurbished to be equipped with the required technology, but here at East Lothian, the technology was included as the crematorium was being built, which makes it extra-special, as does the fact that we are the first – and currently only – crematorium in Scotland to offer the bereaved the chance to personalise funerals in a way they have never been able to before.”

The innovative technology was installed by Westerleigh Group’s business partner, Obitus, the UK’s leading audio-visual provider to the bereavement industry, dedicated to delivering more ways to say goodbye through high-quality, personalised music choices, visual tributes, live streaming and keepsakes for funeral services.

East Lothian Crematorium & Memorial Gardens is also equipped with technology which makes it one of the most environmentally-friendly facilities of its kind in the country.

This includes the latest advanced filtration and abatement technology, including NOx abatement, which will make a significant contribution towards offsetting the crematorium’s carbon footprint.

A zonal heating system and the use of low-energy lighting will help reduce the crematorium’s dependency on external sources of energy.

There are 106 parking spaces, an overflow car park, six accessible parking spaces and electric car-charging facilities.

The crematorium is fully and easily accessible throughout, for anyone with reduced mobility or hearing impairments.

To find out more about the new East Lothian Crematorium, all its facilities and services, and the exceptional care and support it offers, visit: www.eastlothiancrematorium.co.uk or speak to your local funeral director and ask about the canvas.