Caledonia Cremation

About

Scotland’s first not-for-profit funeral service was launched in February 2018 offering an affordable direct cremation service throughout mainland Scotland. They additional support for bereaved people experiencing hardship; Not only do they accept clients who will be in receipt of Funeral Support Payment without a deposit, but they actively welcome them, helping them with the application process for the payment as well as all other financial support that may be available.

Caledonia Cremation are specialists in direct cremations – this is the only type of funeral they do – and they offer simple, dignified, low cost, low key (and low carbon) cremations, with a small team of dedicated and compassionate staff who provide personal, one to one support and advice for families choosing this type of funeral.

Based in Edinburgh, Caledonia Cremation is a social enterprise which was set up by the anti-poverty charity Community Renewal Trust following years of planning and research into the cost of funerals and funeral poverty

Since being launched, Caledonia Cremation has acted as a catalyst for other funeral providers to respond by offering similar low cost services, with the larger companies in particular responding aggressively to the new ‘competitor’ and promoting their own low cost alternative.

Unexpectedly though, some smaller traditional funeral directors have welcomed the arrival of a direct cremation company; the service is not seen as a profitable endeavour for them and some have referred members of the public seeking a direct cremation to Caledonia Cremation. In addition, some crematoria who have been approached by people wanting a direct cremation have referred them to the not-for-profit organisation.

Since it began, Caledonia Cremation has supported nearly 500 clients with even more enquiring about the free register of wishes service. A small number of clients were primarily motivated to choose the service because of cost, however the majority – around two thirds – did so for philosophical reasons, i.e. because of the personal preferences of either the person who had died or of their family. The non-profit nature of the company also aligns with the values of many of those choosing to use the service.

Who’s Who

 The manager of this small, tightly knit team is Emma Ritchie, who has experience of working in Palliative Care as well as the funeral industry. She is joined by Storm Orr who, after years working for private funeral directors, was delighted to join a Funeral Directors where profit was not the motive of the company.

Emma and Storm are professional, caring and sensitive as reviews on Google and Facebook can attest. They are only motivated by helping people in need, and their kind, understanding and honest characters are ideally suited to being at the front line of working with clients.

Both Emma and Storm share the same passion to do things right for each client, and they both feel the same sense of responsibility and pride in what they do.

Everyone who is cared for by Caledonia Cremation will be collected by two members of staff and brought to premises in Glasgow where they will be looked after until they are taken for cremation, again by at least two staff members who will commit the simple coffin at the crematorium quietly and respectfully.

There is no ceremony at this point, and families don’t attend the crematorium, but many clients choose to arrange a memorial service and Caledonia Cremation staff can assist with this at no additional cost, offering as much support and help as required.

They use Clyde Coast and Garnock Valley Crematorium, which features stunning views and eco-friendly practices, located in the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park.

How does it work?

The service is simple and straightforward and begins with ensuring that anyone contacting Caledonia Cremations is certain that a direct cremation is the right choice for them. This will be established through discussion with the person who answers your initial call (probably Emma or Storm) and they’ll take their time to answer any questions you might have that could help you confirm your decision.

 You can call their advice line at no cost, just to get some guidance and understanding of what is involved. You won’t be pressured in any way – quite the opposite, in fact. The team have helped many people connect with a more suitable funeral director when it became apparent that direct cremation was not the type of funeral they required. They have even helped them access cheaper prices when it was clear that cost was an issue

“We don’t ever want someone to have a direct cremation if it’s not right for them,” says Emma, “We realise that direct cremation is not for everyone, and we take a lot of time on the initial phone call making sure that people understand exactly what it is we do and how it differs from a traditional funeral.”

Once you’ve had that initial conversation, if you decide Caledonia Cremation is right for you then things can get started right away. They accept that is not always possible and will still proceed without a deposit but will take payment or a deposit if you are able to do so.

Once you have decided to use Caledonia Cremation’s services, your advisor will guide you through what needs to be done. You won’t ever need to go to their office, most things can be arranged over the phone and by email. Paperwork can be completed by email or, if necessary by post or in certain circumtances staff will meet you at home or wherever is convenient to you. There is always someone on the end of the phone to answer any questions you have at any time.

 The person who has died will be collected in one of the specialist vehicles used by the company, from wherever they have died in mainland Scotland. They will be taken back to the mortuary and cared for until the date of the cremation, with minimal intervention other than being washed and dressed in whichever clothes you want them to be wearing.

They will be placed in a simple, solid pine coffin sourced from a FCS Certified forest, and taken to the crematorium on the date of the cremation where the staff will witness the committal of the coffin. Once the cremation has taken place, the ashes can either be interred at the crematorium or collected by you, either from the crematorium or from premises in East Kilbride. If you want the ashes to be brought back to you at home, then this will be arranged, there will be a charge as they will do this personally – they don’t risk handing over ashes to a courier service. Also, the Crematoria plant a tree for every person who has been in their care.

Specific Gravity:

Caledonia Cremation is an impressive example of a social enterprise that is really making a difference. Their website says ‘If you need help we promise to take care of you’, and the people who work here will do just that, they’ll offer you advice and help you to decide whether direct cremation is the right choice for you.

For families struggling to find the money to pay for a funeral, this company can provide an affordable solution. For people who just want to keep things simple for their own future funeral, or for families who don’t feel the need to combine the components of a traditional funeral (disposal of the body, ritualization of death and remembering the person who has died) all in one event, the option of a direct cremation service provided by a not-for-profit organisation could be a compelling choice.

For all clients of Caledonia Cremation, there is a certainty that the person who has died will be taken care of by kind, caring people. This may be a low-cost funeral choice, but there is nothing cheap about the level of service that you will receive, these are among the most genuinely dedicated people we have met, and they will do their utmost to ensure that every family they work with feels supported and empowered in the decisions they have made. Their care doesn’t end with the funeral they keep in touch after the cremation to help you too

What’s important?

Genuinely, getting it right. The company is completely geared to serving the families in the best way possible, and Emma and Storm have spent long hours ensuring that all the back office systems and procedures are in place to ensure that everything is done properly. The staff have been chosen for their caring nature and calibre, and everyone shares the same ethical approach to their work.

The ethics of the company attract support from the public, with some people donating money to help families in desperate need. You can ‘pay it forward’ for someone who dies in abject poverty if you wish, and people do so. When we visited the office, a gentleman made a large donation which would enable two families without funds to receive help. Donations can also be made towards the bereavement support projects offered by the company.

What’s different?

As a not-for-profit organisation, Caledonia Cremation is unlike any other funeral or direct cremation business, and it is rightly being recognised for the invaluable work it is doing.

The fact that they don’t insist on a deposit has been an important lien of support for those who have been turned away from other funeral directors

Less than a year after starting, it was awarded two major accolades, named ‘One To Watch’ at the Social Enterprise Awards Scotland in November, it received the UK wide award in London.

Judges of the UK Awards said: “This new business already delivers one in every 300 funerals in Scotland. Whilst providing better funerals, they address widespread funeral poverty and provide bereavement support.”

The community engagement work, the awareness raising, the Death Cafes and the bereavement support that they offer are all motivated entirely by altruistic reasons – the underpinning feeling shared by everyone here that direct cremation can offer some people an affordable alternative to the traditional type of funeral.

The company is transparent in everything it does and has incorporated the advice and recommendations from H.M Inspector of Funerals, Natalie McKail, who spent a long day thoroughly scrutinising every aspect of their work.

Services:

Your first call will be answered by either Storm or Emma

Home visits – Yes, if necessary, these can be arranged.

Same sex person to wash and dress? Yes, all of the staff will do this so if you have a preference for the same sex person to do so please let them know.

Embalming? Most people using the service are explicit that they want minimal intervention, so embalming is not normally carried out.

Ethnic specialism? All ethnic groups are served although culturally cremation is not suitable for some faith groups.

Home arranged funerals? Happy to support families who wish to look after the person who has died themselves. There would be a surcharge for collection of the deceased from a private residence

Local celebrants? As Caledonia Cremations help many families to arrange memorial ceremonies as part of their service, they have contact with well-respected and well known celebrants and officiants throughout Scotland, all of whom fit with the organisation’s values. They have also established a relationship with Fuze Foundation who offer free celebrants for those experiencing hardship

Vehicles: Unobtrusive, sign-written and smart, regularly inspected and well presented.

Website: Excellent, informative website that gives a good sense of the feel and values of the company

Client support: Superb. Throughout your contact with them you will be supported by the member of staff you are dealing with, and they offer professional bereavement counselling for those who need it.

Money matters:

Price of direct cremation including admin support, care and coffin – £1,345  (2025)

Return of ashes to anywhere in Scotland – £95

Surcharge for residential/hospice collection – £250

Optional Carbon offsetting  for the cremation £20

 Any profits are always reinvested in helping people in Scotland’s poorest communities who struggle to cope with bereavement.

Remarks:

Caledonia Cremation is like a breath of fresh air in a funeral market awash with endless choice, expectations and assumptions. It offers a straightforward simple service that can help families avoid falling into funeral poverty, fulfilling the purpose for which it was created.

With over 450 families helped so far, and with the reported average cost of a basic attended funeral being in Scotland being £4,345 (see the Sun Life Cost of Dying report 2025), it is clear that since its inception, there will have been combined savings of nearly £2million in funeral expenses. In addition, with the publicity about Caledonia Cremation, many more people will now be aware that there is an alternative to needing to find several thousand pounds quickly if someone in the family dies.

In addition, Caledonia Cremation offers choice to people of all walks of life, instead of engaging a funeral director, they have the option of choosing a not-for-profit enterprise that will allow a respectful, respectable way to enable cremation of someone who has died without any additional traditional funeral services.

Direct cremation is a very specific choice, and not for everyone, but for people in Scotland who are considering this option, we wholeheartedly recommend the ethos, values and – most importantly – the people that we found here.

We are delighted to include Caledonia Cremations as one of the companies we would trust to look after someone we loved. If you are thinking of using them, we suggest you give them a call and have a chat to see if you feel the same.