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Loch ceremony for unclaimed ashes Loch ceremony for unclaimed ashes
(1 day later)
The unclaimed ashes of almost 20 people will be scattered in a ceremony on Loch Ness. The unclaimed ashes of 13 people have been scattered on Loch Ness after being held in the vaults of a funeral parlour for up to 40 years.
Funeral director John Fraser and Son in Inverness made exhaustive and unsuccessful efforts to trace family of the remains held in its vaults. John Fraser and Son in Inverness had the remains of 17 people, but the ashes of four were collected following publicity about the ceremony.
They are the ashes of 17 people who were cremated between 1968 and 1993, but not collected by relatives. Rev Douglas Clyne led a prayer before the ashes were scattered along with yellow flower petals from a cruiser.
The ashes will be scattered one set at a time on Tuesday morning while a lone piper plays. Piper Calum Fraser played at the close of the ceremony.
The ashes are of Hannah Provan, from 1968; Irene Bartlett, 1970; APF Dempster, 1971; John McRae, 1973; David Provan, 1974; William Orange, 1974; John Cameron, 1975; David Rousay, 1978; Stafford William Down, no exact date but before 1979; James Heatherill, 1980; John Weir, 1981; Christina Bryson, 1982; Elizabeth RM MacPherson, 1984; Greetta Ross, 1986; Jane Alcock, 1988; Anne Elizabeth Matthew Fraser, 1990, and Ellisavetta Osborne, 1993. Rev Clyne, formerly a minister at Fraserburgh Old Parish Church, said it had been an unusual occasion.
He said: "The remains were of 13 people unknown to us and perhaps only known by a very few.
"The setting of the loch and the weather were perfect."
The remains were of people who were cremated between 1968 and the 1990s, but not collected by relatives.
Those that were claimed were not named to protect the families' privacy.