Community Owned Natural Burial Ground Opens in Fife
A volunteer led organisation set up to bring land into community ownership has opened Fife’s first natural burial ground. The Wild Meadow Eco Cemetery in Kinghorn will also be the first natural burial ground in Scotland to be run as a social enterprise. The cemetery is run by Kinghorn Community Land Association and has been established following their purchase of 12 acres of land using community right to buy legislation.
Local Kinghorn man Sandy Duncan will be the first to be laid to rest in the cemetery on 26 November.
Kinghorn Community Land Association’s Chair, Rob Tesh, said “The opening of this cemetery is fantastically exciting. It’s been achieved by a dedicated group of volunteers within Kinghorn backed by the wider community. It’s a real demonstration of local ownership of assets being made to work for the benefit of the whole community. A shortage of burial space together with growing demand for more environmentally friendly burial practices has led to a pressing need for a resource like this.
“Wild Meadow Eco Cemetery is a peaceful place for people to remember loved ones as well as a site to enable nature to thrive. The land was formerly a leather tannery and since it came into community ownership in 2015 has been carefully managed to encourage a wide variety of plant and insect species to establish themselves. As a not for profit enterprise, income generated from the cemetery will be re-invested in the local community.”
Fife Council is supporting the project by booking burial lairs, grave digging and record keeping. The Council’s Bereavement Services Manager, Liz Murphy said “Fife Council undertook widespread engagement across Fife on its recently published bereavement strategy. This demonstrated widespread demand for a resource like this. We’ve really encouraged Kinghorn to go for it so it’s great to see the project become a reality. They have drawn on skills and expertise from within their community to make this happen, as well as close partnerships with other organisations. We welcome the inclusive nature of the cemetery which will be available to people of all faiths and no faith.’‘
The cemetery is open to full burials and ash interments.
Sandy Duncan’s daughter, Heather Duncan said, “It was my late father’s final wish for Wild Meadow Eco Cemetery to be his final resting place. Sandy Duncan or, as he had become better known to the Kinghorn Community, “Santa” Sandy, was originally from South Africa. Kinghorn was his adopted home when he “retired to the beach”. An eccentric and colourful character he could often be spotted out and about on one of his much loved long walks either along the coastal path or exploring the countryside. An especially favoured sanctuary was the hideout at Kinghorn Loch where he could be perfectly content spending many hours observing and taking photos of the birds and also enjoyed feeding them and ensuring the bird feeders were always kept topped up. So it makes perfect sense that he would wish his final resting place to be in this beautiful, tranquil place that had brought him so much joy and peace.”
People who are interested in using Wild Meadow Eco Cemetery can find more information at www.kcla.org.uk.