Arranging a funeral is a personal journey to celebrate your loved one’s life and honour their values. It provides a meaningful farewell that resonates with family and friends. Our team is here to guide you through every step, ensuring a supportive and straightforward process.
The first step when arranging a funeral is to decide whether the funeral will be burial or cremation. You may already know what your loved one’s wishes are and the following gives more guidance on available options.
Should your chosen funeral be burial, you can purchase a new lair in Birkhill or Pitkerro Grove cemeteries in Dundee, or the Western Cemetery in St Andrews. Alternatively, you may already own a lair in either Barnhill, Birkhill, Balgay, Western, Eastern, and Pitkerro Grove in Dundee, as well as Eastern and Western cemeteries in St Andrews.
Additionally, new burial lairs are available in Cairnbrae Natural Burial Ground.
If you wish to inter your loved one’s cremated remains, your Funeral Director can discuss options with you.
In the local area, there are several crematoriums to consider, including those in Dundee, Brewsterwells in St Andrews, Parkgrove in Friockheim, Perth and Kirkcaldy. Each offers facilities and services to accommodate your needs.
Your Funeral Director will take the time to discuss your options with you, ensuring you find the crematorium that best aligns with your wishes and those of your loved one. They will guide you through the process, answering any questions you may have to help you make an informed decision.
We offer a wide selection of coffins and urns, all of which are fully furnished by our team.
During this difficult time, we are here to make your visit as comforting as possible, so you can feel assured that your loved one is at rest and receiving the best possible care. From the moment they are entrusted to us, we treat your loved one with the utmost respect and dignity. We are committed to providing consistent, compassionate care, offering you peace of mind throughout this process.
To provide a truly personal service, we appreciate receiving a recent photograph and personal items such as glasses, jewellery, a favourite book or a beloved hobby item. These meaningful touches help us honour your loved one’s individuality. We offer a quality robe or can dress your loved one in their own clothes, ensuring a personalised and respectful tribute.
We understand how important it is for you to say your final goodbyes. Our viewing rooms facilitate a peaceful setting, allowing you to spend time with your loved one. If you have any specific requests or preferences for viewing, please let us know, and we will do our best to accommodate them.
Viewing Hours:
Monday – Friday: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Please call us to arrange a convenient time. In exceptional circumstances, please speak to your funeral director or call the office if you need to arrange a viewing outside these hours.
You are welcome to arrange to come in and see our facilities if you wish, or please see the many photographs shown here on our website.
Our modern fleet of hybrid electric Mercedes hearses and limousines provides your family with comfort and the latest technology. All of our vehicles are maintained to the highest standards, and our experienced, uniformed drivers offer a professional service. Each limousine accommodates up to seven people, including one person in the front with the driver.
If you would like to consider alternative transport options, such as a horse-drawn hearse or motorcycle hearse, your dedicated funeral director will be happy to discuss your requirements and source suitable options.
Our arranging rooms provide a calm and private space for families to discuss their wishes and plan a meaningful farewell. Designed with comfort in mind, these rooms allow you to gather with loved ones and discuss with a funeral director in a supportive environment. We ensure that every detail is addressed, making the arrangement process as seamless and respectful as possible.
Our viewing rooms are designed to provide comfort and a private setting, allowing you to spend time with your loved. These rooms allow you to reflect and say your final goodbyes in a peaceful setting.
If you have any specific requests or preferences for the viewing, please let us know, and we will do our best to accommodate them.
Our service rooms are thoughtfully designed to create a warm and inviting atmosphere for families to gather and celebrate the life of their loved one. Equipped with facilities to offer music, photo tributes, and other personalised elements, to encourage heartfelt remembrance and reflection.
Our on-site mortuary is equipped to provide compassionate and professional care for your loved one. With experienced staff and modern facilities, we ensure that every aspect of preparation is handled with the utmost respect and dignity. This allows families to have peace of mind, knowing that their loved one is in safe hands throughout the entire process.
We work with local florists to provide the very best seasonal blooms. We understand that for some people, flowers are an important part of life, signify key events and occasions or may have religious or cultural significance. We will always try our best to source your specific requirements.
For pricing information, please contact us directly. Our team is here to provide you with the details you need and answer any questions you may have.
We can assist with all necessary calls and will contact the appropriate Minister, Priest, Humanist, or Celebrant. To ensure a personalised service, your Officiant will want to find out more about your loved one.
We will arrange for the Officiant to visit you either in the comfort of your own home or in one of our arranging rooms at our premises. You will be asked to recall the life your loved one lived, for example their hobbies, school life and work history.
You may also wish to share memorable occasions or funny stories. At this difficult time, it can be a comfort to remember the life that has been lived. This may also be a time to reflect on any favourite hymns, songs, poems that you may wish to include in the order of service sheets.
Service sheets are a thoughtful way to honour your loved one during the funeral or memorial service. These sheets typically include details such as the order of service, readings, hymns, and personal tributes. We can help you design and print service sheets that reflect the personality and life of your loved one, ensuring that family and friends have a meaningful keepsake to remember the occasion.
If you have specific preferences or content you’d like to include, let us know and we will do our best to accommodate them.
We can assist you in preparing an intimation for the newspaper of your choice and online platforms. These announcements inform family and friends of your loved one’s passing and can include details of the funeral service if desired. We will help you compose an intimation that thoughtfully conveys this news of you loved ones passing. We’ll work with you to ensure the message captures their essence and includes all necessary details about the funeral service.
After the funeral, we can also assist you in composing an acknowledgement to thank those who provided support, dedicated care, and kindness to your loved one. This includes family, friends, medical professionals, clergy, and anyone else who offered condolences, attended the service, sent flowers or cards, or made charitable donations in memory of your loved one.
If a Prepayment Funeral Plan is not for you, perhaps you might like to consider leaving an ‘Expression of Wishes’ form which your family can consult when the time comes for them to make your funeral arrangements. It will let them know what your personal wishes are for all or part of your funeral without the need for you to make a financial commitment.
Simply fill out the form and submit it to us. We will keep a copy on file and email one to you as well, but remember to tell someone close to you where it is.
A funeral plan is an easy way to arrange the funeral you want in advance. A prepayment plan allows you to specify your wishes and pay for the funeral director’s services included in your plan. A plan from Golden Charter also includes an allowance towards third party costs. These are essential, non-funeral director services such as the cremation or burial fees, plus the minister or officiant’s fee to perform the service.
If you would like to get more information or have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch and we'll be happy to help.
We wanted to say a very big thank you to James Ashton & Son for the excellent and professional service they provided in making arrangements for our mothers funeral. James in particular was outstanding and clearly takes satisfaction from a service well given. It helped us get through what was a very difficult time. Many thanks once again and very best wishes.
The staff at Ashton's were so helpful, kind and respectful. I had no idea what to do when mum passed away and relied on them to guide us through the process. Although everything had to be done over the phone and email because of the current situation they still managed to make what was an extremely difficult and emotional time as straightforward as possible. Our thanks in particular to Jamie and James.
Caring, sympathetic and extremely professional from start to end. At a time when we had enough on our plate to deal with, all the staff at Ashtons (special mention to Colin and Zoe) ensured that we didn't have to worry with the most important part following our mum's passing. This loving care continued from Dominick Watson (Civil Ceremonies Dundee) and from all the staff at The Invercarse Hotel, both initially contacted and organised through Ashtons. I would love to say I won't be using any of them again but such is life, I won't hesitate to call them in the future if and when required. Thank you all x I knew I wanted a humanist service for my mum and Jamie recommended a lovely lady called Fiona. She conducted a beautiful service , everything went smoothly.and I don’t think there was a dry eye in the chapel.
James Ashton have a long-held and fantastic reputation in Dundee for a good reason. They looked after my family and I so well after my Dad's death. The preparations, cremation, service and internment all went smoothly. I can't thank them enough for their care and respect, and for just being wonderful human beings!
It’s important to speak to a funeral director as soon as you feel able. We can then act as your primary guide and support system during a time when you are likely feeling overwhelmed or uncertain.
Many funeral directors are available to take your call around the clock. We are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for example.
Choosing the type of funeral isn’t urgent and comes after other important steps like calling a funeral director, locating the Will, and registering the death.
In fact, many families choose direct cremation because it allows time, space, and flexibility to plan a memorial that truly reflects their loved one’s life – without immediate pressure or fixed timings.
To register a death in Scotland, you should try to find the following documents if possible:
The process of registering a death and obtaining the necessary certificates can be confusing. We can advise you on exactly what you paperwork you need.
Yes, our viewing rooms are designed to provide comfort and a private setting, allowing you to spend time with your loved one. These rooms allow you to reflect and say your final goodbyes in a peaceful setting.
Whether you are planning a funeral service, burial or cremation, there are many ways to personalise a funeral service, including:
From choosing meaningful tributes, such as a theme or favourite flowers, to incorporating personal music, photos, videos and readings, every detail and thoughtful touch helps to share the unique life story of your loved one and create a deeply personal farewell that brings comfort, connection and lasting remembrance.
Funerals can typically be arranged within a week or two, depending on availability and providing there are no delays such as investigations into the cause of death.
The costs of a funeral can vary immensely. There are some fixed costs that apply to the practicalities of the process, and variable costs dependent on the type of service you would like.
We offer direct cremation from £1,355, including the cremation fee. And our Affordable Funeral Package starts from £2,205.
If you are eligible for the Funeral Support Payment from Social Security Scotland, we will guide you in completing the claim form.
More information about Funeral Costs.