Our Funeral Services

When someone has died

You do not need to have anything decided before you contact us. Regardless of the time, we will answer and guide you through the next steps.

• In hospital or a nursing home: the staff will arrange for a doctor to issue the medical certificate. When you are ready, you or a staff member simply call us, we will ask a few details for our own paperwork, which will then allow us to then attend and bring your loved one safely into the care of our family.  
• At home: your first call should be to the family doctor (or NHS 24 out of hours). Once the doctor is happy for us to attend, call us, again, we will ask a few details for our own paperwork, and we will then attend straight away to bring your loved one safely into the care of our family.  

Bringing your loved one into our care from anywhere within 20 miles of Falkirk is part of our standard charges. That includes Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, Strathcarron Hospice and the care homes across the area.

In Scotland, a death must be registered within 8 days. We’ll explain how registration works and what you’ll need. Our arranging a funeral page has more on the first few days.

Cremation, burial or direct cremation?

Most families already have a feeling for what their loved one would have wanted. If you’re not sure, these are the main choices:

• A cremation funeral brings everyone together for a service, at Falkirk Crematorium in Camelon or at a church first, followed by the cremation. The ashes are returned to you afterwards.
• A burial funeral ends at the graveside, often in a family lair alongside parents or grandparents, in one of Falkirk Council’s cemeteries or a churchyard.
• A direct cremation is a cremation with no service. Some families choose it because it’s what their loved one wanted; others hold their own memorial later.

There’s no right or wrong answer, and we’re happy to talk it through with you before you decide.

What a traditional funeral with us includes

Our traditional cremation and burial packages start at £3,850, including the Falkirk Council cremation or interment fee. They include:

• bringing your loved one safely into our care
• their personal care before the funeral
• a choice of two coffins, with the option to upgrade
• arranging everything with you, at our funeral home or in your own home
• visiting your loved one in our visiting room
• all the necessary paperwork, and our professional fees
• a hearse, and one family limousine
• support from us 24 hours a day, and aftercare that continues long after the funeral

A package is a starting point, not a fixed menu. We add, remove or change anything so that you only pay for what you really want. You can see every price on our funeral costs page.

Clear prices, from the first conversation

From the first moment we chat, we’ll provide you with a clear and thorough cost breakdown, along with a printed estimate, so you have a complete picture. We never include any extra services or charges unless you specifically request them, and we also offer a price guarantee on all our services.

If you receive certain benefits, you may be able to apply for help towards the costs through the Funeral Support Payment from Social Security Scotland.

We’re happy to explain how this works and provide you a leaflet with all the details regarding applying.

Your loved one stays with us

When your loved one comes into our families care, they stay with us here at Thornlea, in our own purpose-built mortuary on site. They are never moved to another location. You can dress them in their own clothes, and you’re welcome to visit them in our beautiful visiting room. These services are always provided free of charge.

The service day itself

On the morning of the service, there are several options: the full cortege can leave from your loved one’s home address, from our funeral home, or simply meet us upon arrival at the service venue. Alternatively, you may prefer to use your own vehicles to follow your loved one on their final journey.

For something different, we can arrange a horse-drawn hearse (£950) or a motorbike hearse;

Quotes will always be obtained for all alternative hearses prior to booking to ensure you are satisfied with the cost.

The service can be religious or non-religious and can be led by a minister, priest, humanist celebrant or family celebrant. We will assist with music, flowers and the order of service, as well as with all the personal touches that families find most meaningful.

With your instruction and approval, we can also share the funeral details on our social media and funeral notices pages, so friends and neighbours know when and where to pay their respects.

A local, independent family business

Merrilees is a completely independent family-owned business with no head office or call centre. When you call, you will speak to Andrew, Samantha or another member of their family who will be with you from the first call to the service day itself.

Collectively, they have approximately 20 years’ experience in the funeral industry with qualifications in all aspects, including funeral arranging, funeral directing, and grief and bereavement support.You can read more in our full story.

We look after families across the Falkirk District and surrounding areas.

After the funeral

Our support doesn’t stop after the service day. We maintain contact and offer private bereavement counselling through the local services we collaborate with. Additionally, we host a monthly Get Together for those who may be feeling isolated after a loss. We can also guide you through selecting a headstone or memorial when you are ready.

You can read more on our after the funeral page, or see the memorial keepsakes we can arrange.

Questions families ask

Do we need to know what we want before we call?
No. Many families call us with no idea where to start. We’ll take you through everything, one step at a time.

Can you come to our home to arrange the funeral?
Yes. We’ll always offer to come to you, or you’re welcome to meet us at Thornlea, whichever feels more comfortable for you.

What if our loved one had a funeral plan?
Call us as you normally would, and let us know about the plan. We’ll take it from there.

Can we see our loved one before the funeral?
Yes. You can visit them in our visiting room, by appointment and at no charge.