Inverness funeral home opens its doors to the public

An Inverness funeral director is again opening its doors to members of the public with their third annual Doors Open Day on Saturday 1st February. Vicki Fraser, proprietor of family firm John Fraser & Son, is inviting anyone who is interested to pop in for a tour, a chat, or just a cuppa and some home baking, any time between 10am – 3pm.

Visitors to the funeral home on Chapel Street, Inverness start their guided tour in the firm’s state of the art service room where their two-way Skype facilities will be demonstrated. Skype is increasingly popular where friends or family members are overseas or are too ill or infirm to attend the service in person. At a recent funeral in their service room the eulogy was delivered live by Skype by a family member in South Africa.

Tours will also visit the mortuary and embalming suite, the resting rooms and family room, then cross the road to the workshops to see the firm’s smart fleet of limousines and hearses, and the workshops in which coffins are furnished and finished. The firm’s in-house stonemasons will be demonstrating the skills required to engrave a memorial stone, and staff will be on hand throughout to answer any questions.

Talking about her reasons for repeating the open day, Vicki said: “Doors Open Days are becoming increasingly popular across Scotland. Although it is unusual for a funeral director to join in, and we believe we are the first in the Highlands to do so, people who came last year and the year before have been really interested, and some have been surprised by what they have seen. Most of all, though, they have said they felt reassured. They found it helpful to understand exactly what happens between someone coming into our care and the funeral happening.

“The visits have also helped people to start a conversation with their own families about what they would like their own funerals to be like; whether they’d like to be cremated or buried, what sort of celebrant or music they’d like, and what kind of coffin they would prefer. We have a huge range of coffins, from traditional wood to eco-friendly seagrass, and even glitter coffins for those who prefer to go out with a bit of sparkle.

“There are so many myths and misunderstandings that we have been able to put people right about during the tours; for example about what can be placed in a coffin with a loved one, where funeral services can be held and what happens if someone wants to donate their body to medical science. Most people want to know why we have a stethoscope hanging on our wall. That’s because the first thing we always do when someone arrives in our care is check for a heartbeat.”

While the funeral home will still be operational during the Doors Open Day, with people in their care, Vicki is keen to stress that the privacy and dignity of the deceased will always be preserved.

“That’s our ethos”, she stresses. “Every single thing we do at John Fraser & Son respects and preserves the dignity of the deceased, and on our Open Day that will be no different. Our job is to help families to create the funeral that best meets their own needs, reflects the personality and wishes of the deceased, yet maintains the respect and dignity of the occasion.”

John Fraser & Son’s Doors Open Day will be at their Chapel Street, Inverness Funeral Home on Saturday 1st February 10am – 3pm. Regular tours will be offered, and refreshments will be available. If anyone is interested in knowing more but unable to make it along on Saturday, appointments can be made at any time, including evenings and weekends.

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