Royal Northern Infirmary

Royal Northern Infirmary and River Ness - Ness Walk Inverness, originally uploaded by conner395.

The building of the RNI was suggested in 1797 and subscriptions were invited. The driving force behind the project was Provost William Inglis.

It was built between 1799 and 1804 by John Smith of Banff as a three-storeyed main block bracketed by two lower wings. The masons were James and Alexander Nicol of Kintessack, near Forres, and Hugh Suter of Inverness.

Alterations were carried out in 1864-66 by Mathews and Lawrie and a front block was added in 1896-98 by Ross and MacBeth. A Festival of Britain porch was added in 1954. Reference.

Its use as a hospital continued until the 1990s, though as a secondary one to Raigmore Hospital (which began as a wartime hospital in 1941), especially after Raigmore was completely re-developed in the 1970s/1980s to form the main hospital for the Highlands.

A new modern RNI Community Hospital was built in the grounds (to left of main building) and ancillary buildings to the right were demolished and the site used for housing.

The main building is now the Headquarters of the UHI (University of the Highlands & Islands) Millennium Institute.

The building (which when built was way out in the countryside) occupies a prominent position in the City of Inverness overlooking the River Ness and facing the War Memorial and Cavell Gardens, just downstream from Ness Islands.

Note the exposed stones in the middle of the river - there seem to be two channels formed by the river at this point with the hint of an island in the middle, only visible after a spell of dry weather as we are currently having.

Taken on June 24, 2010