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William Purves Funeral Directors

William Purves Funeral Directors

4.8(32 reviews)See reviews ↓·Edinburgh

About the company

William Purves Funeral Directors is a family-run business for five generations and operates as independent funeral directors. Registered in Scotland, the company has branches including Edinburgh, Borders, St Andrews, Tayside and North East England. It offers burial and cremation services. It provides repatriation services.

It offers pre-paid funeral plans and a free Plan of Wishes with a 20 point checklist. It provides memorials including memorial stones, urns and bespoke jewellery. It offers bereavement support after the funeral. The company announced a £200,000 investment in mortuary facilities including advanced CCTV coverage and access permissions. It supports regulatory bodies shaping funeral standards in the UK.

What customers say

Based on genuine customer reviews

Calmness, empathy and careful guidance from the earliest contact onward characterise what families in Edinburgh recall about William Purves Funeral Directors. Organising a funeral is rarely something people feel prepared for, and several accounts stress how the team explained each step, answered questions and made a difficult process easier to manage. Professionalism and respect run through the feedback, with staff described as approachable and attentive whether arranging a cremation or conducting a service. Individual members of the team are named for the personal care they gave, among them Chris Harkess, Paul, Rohan Hepburn, Charlie Finlayson and Daniel, whose prompt replies and steady handling are noted.

An aspect raised across a number of reviews is the smooth running of the day itself, with funerals judged to have matched the tone relatives wanted and the deceased treated with dignity throughout. Useful advice and practical support before and after the arrangements are also acknowledged, as is the consistency of that care for families returning to the firm over many years. Attention to detail, responsiveness and a personal touch are qualities reviewers associate with the service, and it is the conduct of named staff that lingers in their recollections.

Reviews

Reviews are taken from publicly available sources.

CG
CalEli Gifts26 June 2026

I cannot recommend William Purves enough in particular Charlie Finlayson who was so caring and professional when my Dad died. He guided us through the entire process, answered all our numerous emails promptly and the only way I can describe my Dad's funeral was "perfect!" Thank you so much for making such a difficult time in our lives so much easier.

SD
Steven Dalgleish21 May 2026

Excellent professional and personal care and attention at every step of the process - Many thanks to Ewan and the team at Wm Purves for going above and beyond, and for helping myself and my family through this difficult time - Highly Recommended

AT
Angus Thomson27 April 2026

Very professional and a great service. Daniel at Wm Purves was great to deal with, kept everything simple and straightforward at a tricky time.

DG
David Gilmour27 June 2025

Their branch at Braid Road had organized my late mother's cremation, but I had to come here to collect her ashes a few days later. The gentleman who gave me my Mum's ashes and helped me with the small bit of paperwork was friendly, empathetic and professional. I have had only good experiences with all of the staff of William Purves and would certainly recommend them them to anyone with a funeral or cremation to arrange.

CS
Craig Simpson19 April 2024

The team at William H Purves did an exceptional job of guiding our family through a difficult time and making it as stress-free as possible. The day of the funeral could not have gone more smoothly and struck exactly the tone we were all looking for. The professionalism, responsiveness and personal touch from our funeral director, Rohan Hepburn, and the whole team was hugely appreciated and ensured a perfect send off for our father.

VB
Valerie Bruce21 February 2024

Graeme, Funeral Director, has been so reassuring, helpful & compassionate in dealing with all the arrangements for my dad’s funeral. The Admin staff have also dealt with us in a competent & sensitive manner. Would highly recommend trusting your loved ones to William Purves’ care.

KH
Kenneth Hutson24 October 2023

We have used Purves in the past for my Father (10 years ago) and Mother (3 years ago) but called on there services again 2 months ago to handle the funeral of our daughter following her sudden passing. From the initial meeting to the service on the day every contact with the staff was handled with respect and empathy. Their attention to detail is second to none and would highly recommend anyone to consider their services.

Funeral directors in Edinburgh compared

Ordered by rating, weighted by the number of reviews — businesses with only a handful of reviews do not jump to the top automatically. 6 businesses in this category in Edinburgh are compared.

RankProviderRatingReviewsOpen Sat.
1Fosters Funeral Directors Edinburgh★ 5,017No
2Barclays Funeral Directors★ 5,014Yes
3McGillivray Funeral Directors★ 4,819No
4William Purves Funeral Directors (this page)★ 4,832No
5McKenzie & Millar, Co-op Funeralcare★ 4,739Yes
Contact
+441314475858www.williampurves.co.ukOakvale Funeral Home, 106 Whitehouse Loan, Edinburgh EH9 1BD
Working hours
Monday09:00–17:00
Tuesday09:00–17:00
Wednesday09:00–17:00
Thursday09:00–17:00
Friday09:00–17:00
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed