The Story of Rosedene — Since 1860
The Victorian mansion was commissioned and built in 1860 by an affluent merchant as his home. Designed in the stunning Scottish Gothic style, the building remains a striking example of Victorian architecture. In 1923, the owner donated the property for use as a baby home, beginning its journey to becoming the cherished landmark it is today. Discover the rich history of Rosedene.
Origins as a Baby Home
Rosedene's first use as a care establishment was to look after infants whose mothers could not cope. In 1916, the Scottish Mothers Union opened the Northern Counties Infant Home at 106 Castle Street, accommodating six infants up to one year old and training young girls in child care. Demand was high, and around 1918 it moved to larger premises in the Old College in Ardross Street. By the early 1920s, the home had 12 babies and five girl trainees.
The Rosedene Baby Home
In 1923, Mrs Frances Lilian Day of Hilton House donated Rosedene as a memorial to her own daughters. The new home was opened by Lady Mackenzie of Gairloch for 20 infants and was normally quite full. By the 1930s it had up to nine staff. The photograph from 1930 shows Matron Mrs Maclennan with the entire staff, trainees and infants. Children usually left around 3 or 4 years old to return home or to be adopted.
Wartime Requisition
In 1940, due to wartime needs, Rosedene was requisitioned as a maternity hospital and leased to the Inverness Burgh and County Joint Hospital Board. It was converted to a 16‑bed maternity hospital with delivery room. After the war ended, the trustees intended to sell it, prompting discussions that led to the conversion of a ward at Raigmore Hospital into maternity facilities. By mid‑1951, Rosedene patients were transferred to Raigmore.
Children's Home and Later Years
After being used briefly as a nurses' home, Rosedene was purchased by Inverness County in 1953 and reopened as the Northern Counties Children's Home, accommodating 30 children. In 1968, it was taken over by the Social Work Department and continued as a children's home until the early 1980s. Later, it served as a women's refuge and a business centre fulfilling a variety of community and commercial roles. Today, the building has been reimagined for the next chapter in its history as Inverness and the Highlands' first aparthotel, returning it to its original purpose as a place of hospitality and accommodation.
Source & Further Reading
The Hospitals of Inverness – Their Origin and Development 1650-2000
by J.C. Leslie and S.J. Leslie (2017)
Published as part of the History of Highland Hospitals series, this book provides a detailed account of hospital development in the Inverness area, including the story of Rosedene. It concentrates on the medium to distant past while also covering recent history within living memory.