Roucan Loch Crematorium

Situated within 20 ha (50 acres) of undulating former farmland adjacent to a small loch and a mature Scots Pine woodland in E Dumfries and Galloway, Roucan Loch Crematorium is located a mile (1.5 km) southwest of Torthorwald and 3 miles (5 km) east northeast of Dumfries. Opened in 2005 after fifteen years of planning, this Scandinavian-style crematorium was the first in SW Scotland, preventing funerals having to be arranged in Glasgow or Ayrshire. Completely hidden from roads, the timber buildings are designed to blend in with its rural surroundings and wildlife is encouraged on the site. The principal building contains a small chapel, which seating for only 40 people, together with the cremation plant. It was the work of local architects Robert Potter & Partners and was built using sustainable materials, comprising glued-laminate structural members with western red cedar externally and yellow pine internally. It features a red-tiled roof which extends forward to form a large entrance canopy. Extensive glazing on either side of the chapel gives views of the loch and woodland. The building was awarded a design commendation by Glasgow Institute of Architects in 2005. A waiting area was added in 2010, designed to look like a Viking longhouse, and a separate memorial lodge, built in the style of a log cabin, contains a Book of Remembrance. In addition to this book, memorials take the form of trees and bushes, together with the more unusual engraved boulders, woodcarvings and leaves on a memorial tree.

The crematorium was the initiative of Dumfries-based Jardine Funeral Directors and developed in conjunction with the landowners, the Cunningham-Jardine family. It is run as a private limited company. The number of cremations is increasing with local acceptance of the facility; there were 695 funerals in 2011 and 823 in 2013. There is a green burial site adjacent.


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