There’s an important conversation happening in Scotland about how we honour and remember our loved ones, one that expands the choices available to families at the most difficult times of their lives. Traditionally, people have chosen between burial and flame-based cremation, but as of March 2026, there is now a third option: water cremation.
🔗 Watch the video and learn more here: https://news.stv.tv/scotland/what-is-water-cremation-and-how-does-it-work
What is water cremation?
Water cremation, also called hydrolysis, aquamation, resomation, or alkaline hydrolysis, is an alternative method of caring for a body after death. The body is placed in a pressure-sealed chamber filled with warm water and an alkaline solution, which accelerates the natural decomposition process. What remains are sterile liquids and bone fragments that can be gently processed into ashes, just like traditional cremation.
Why is Scotland introducing it?
The Scottish Government’s approval allows hydrolysis to be offered alongside burial and traditional cremation, the first real change in funeral options since 1902. It’s part of broader efforts to give people choice and control, and to reflect changing attitudes around how we live, and die.
Water cremation has been legal in Ireland since 2023, the first country in Europe. Some people find comfort in the process because it resembles the natural way our bodies would decompose over time, compressed into a matter of hours within the controlled environment.
An environmentally friendly alternative
One of the biggest drivers behind water cremation is its environmental impact. Compared with traditional flame cremation, hydrolysis uses significantly less energy and doesn’t release greenhouse gases or harmful emissions. It’s often described as one of the greenest ways to care for a body after death, with many people drawn to it because it mirrors nature’s own processes. There are a number of considerations for how the water required is used and treated, and consultations with SEPA will ensure this is monitored and implemented in the correct way.
More choice for Scottish families
Water cremation will not replace traditional options, it will add to them, giving people greater freedom to choose what feels right for them and their families. For many, that increased choice and flexibility at the end of life is deeply meaningful.
Milestone Days will be following the introduction of this approach, and when and how it becomes readily available with local funeral directors.
