HIGHLAND WARTIME and MILITARY HOSPITALS

During both World Wars apart from very small establishments, nearly every general and fever hospital and some poorhouses were affected either by reserving beds for service personnel or by treating them as out-patients. Cameron Barracks and Fort George Military Hospitals, Inverness both had substantial additional caseloads. The list below notes where other wartime arrangements were made.

Cromwell’s Fort, Inverness  1652

Highland’s first medical hospital.  Fort demolished 1662.

Fort George, Ardersier  1769

Included a hospital building at opening - later extended.

Cromarty Rope Works  1855

Temporary hospital used during Crimean War.

Cameron Barracks, Inverness  1884

Included hospital building much used during World War One.

First World War

Fort Augustus Abbey  1914

Red Cross Auxiliary (VAD) for the length of the war.

Dunrobbin Castle, Golspie  1914

Closed after serious fire in 1915.

Dunskaith House, Nigg  1914

Only briefly used due to water supply issue.

Balnagowan Castle, Kildary  1914

Closed 1915.

Naval Hospital, Invergordon (1)  1914

50 bed naval hospital run by Admiralty at Cromlet.

Kindergarten Hospital, Inverness 1914/15 (Read about it here.)

Small emergency hospital in High Church Hall for measles outbreak among Cameron Highlanders.

Cromarty Military Hospital  1915

Army Hutted hospital with 240 beds. Closed 1919.

Ivybank, Nairn  1915

Red Cross Auxiliary (VAD) for the length of the war.

Hedgefield, Inverness  1915

Red Cross Auxiliary (VAD) for the length of the war.

Seaforth Auxiliary, Strathpeffer  1916

Wing of Spa Hotel opened as auxiliary hospital by Lady Seaforth. Closed 1918

Leys Castle, Inverness  1917

Red Cross Auxiliary (VAD) closed 1918.

Fairburn House, Urray  1917

Red Cross Auxiliary (VAD).  Closed 1918.

Novar House, Evanton  1917

Red Cross Auxiliary (VAD). Closed 1918.

Lochiel Arms, Fort William  1917

Red Cross Auxiliary (VAD).  Mainly officers.

Naval Hospital, Invergordon (2)  1917

Hutted hospital  - later the County Fever Hospital.

US Naval Hospital, Strathpeffer  1917

Occupies Pavilion, Highland and Ben Wyvis Hotels. Closed 1918.

Ardgay House  1917

Hospital for large contingent of New England Foresters.  Closed 1918.

Second World War

Elsick House, Strathpeffer  1939

Army hospital later used for infectious diseases until 1946.

Dunrobbin Castle, Golspie  1939

Linked to nearby Lawson Memorial Hospital. Closed 1945.

Duncraig Castle, Plockton  1939

Naval Hospital for the length of the war.

Royal Naval Auxiliary Hospital, Invergordon 1939

Admiralty took over the County Hospital which moved to the Spa Hotel, Strathpeffer until 1945.

Achnagairn House, Beauly  1940

Red Cross Auxiliary (VAD) mainly officers. Closed 1945.

Gairloch Hotel  1939

Used by both Army and Navy during war. Provided local services also e.g. operations.

Altyre Auxiliary Hospital, Forres  1940

While not in Highland there were links with Raigmore Hospiral in Inverness. Closed 1950.

Forse House, Caithness  1940

RAF auxilary hospital during the war. Became County residential home in 1947.

Glencoe House  1940

Auxilary Hospital during the war. Maternity 1948-56 then geriatric/community. Closed 2009.

Bignold Cottage Hospital, Wick 1940

Taken over by military after air raids on Wick. Civilian hospital moved to Lybster until 1946.

Creagdhu House, Onich  1940

Auxiliary hospital mothballed in 1941.  Patients then went to Glencoe House.

Leys Castle Hospital, Inverness 1940

Auxiliary hospital closed in 1945.

Aultmore Auxiliary Hospital, Nethybridge 1941

Open from at least 1941-44 but few records to be found.

Raigmore Hospital, Inverness 1941

Built to receive wartime casualties and had a separarte military wing until 1946.