Buildings

Name

Royal Northern Infirmary

Grid Ref

Grid Ref N

Grid Ref E

Notes

Original building by John Smith of Banff. Lodge is C Listed

The following alternative names are associated with this building/design:

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Name	Current Name	Notes
Inverness Infirmary	Yes

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The building is classified under the following categories:

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Classification	Original Classification	Notes
Hospital	Not Known

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The following street addresses are associated with this building:

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Address	Current Address	Notes
Ness Walk	Yes

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The following date-based events are associated with this building:

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Event Type	From	To	Notes
Construction	1799	1804
Journal reference	1845/04/16		Porter's Lodge (for previous building?)
	1854	1855	Porter's Lodge
	1864	1866	Additions and alterations
Construction	1871	1873	Fever wards
	1887a	1911b	Reconstruction
Journal reference	1894/04/20		Additions and alterations
Journal reference	1896/07/07		Alterations and operating room
Journal reference	1908/07/29		Wards
	1928	1936	Alterations to original 1799-1804 main building and new ward blocks

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The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.

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Person	Partnership Group	Role	From	To	Notes
Alexander Laing	S	Architect	1799	1804
James Ross	A		1845		Porter's lodge (for previous building?)
James Matthews	B		1854	1855	Porter's Lodge (and other work?)
Mackenzie & Matthews	B		1854		Porter's Lodge (and other work?)
Thomas Mackenzie	B		1854		Porter's Lodge (and other work?)
James Matthews	C		1864	1866	Additions and alterations.
Matthews & Lawrie	C		1864	1866	Additions and alterations
William Lawrie	C		1864	1866	Additions and alterations
Alexander Ross	D		1871	1873	Fever wards
John Hinton Gall	E		1887a	1911b	Reconstruction
Alexander Ross	F		1894		Additions and alterations
Robert John Macbeth	F		1894		Additions and alterations
Ross & Macbeth	F		1894		Additions and alterations
Alexander Ross	G		1896		Alterations and operating room
Robert John Macbeth	G		1896		Alterations and operating room

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This structure or site has the following component or child structures (click on an item to view details):

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Notes	Name
INVERNESS - The Tweedmouth Memorial Chapel, erected by the Dowager Lady Tweedmouth in the grounds of the Northern Infirmary, was opened on Saturday. Built of dressed freestone, the chapel is designed in a Late Pointed phase of Scotch Gothic. It is cruciform in design, with a steep-pitched roof covered with grey slates, and is surmounted in the centre by a fleche of oak, and slated, rising to 50 feet above the ground. The south window has three lights and tracery, and the windows in the two transept gables are triple lancets ; while a rose window, about 10ft. in diameter, gives light from the north end. The nave is 44 feet by 18 feet, whilst in either side there is a transept, separated from the main area by wrought-iron gates and curtains, for use by worshippers of the Roman and Anglican communions. The whole of the furnishings are in oak. The inside walls are of polished freestone, and the windows are all deeply moulded, the jambs and mullions being finished with shafts of grey Kilkenny marble and carved capitals. The roof is also in oak, panelled, and the arched ribs rising from the carved couples divide the interior into three bays. The floor of the chapel is laid with oak parquetry, stained and polished. A corridor. 9 feet wide, connects the church with the infirmary. Messrs. Ross and Macbeth, Inverness, were the architects [Building News 10 June 1898 p814]	Royal Northern Infirmary, Tweedmouth Memorial Chapel
	Royal Northern Infirmary, Victoria Nurses' Home

Notes

Name

INVERNESS - The Tweedmouth Memorial Chapel, erected by the Dowager Lady Tweedmouth in the grounds of the Northern Infirmary, was opened on Saturday. Built of dressed freestone, the chapel is designed in a Late Pointed phase of Scotch Gothic. It is cruciform in design, with a steep-pitched roof covered with grey slates, and is surmounted in the centre by a fleche of oak, and slated, rising to 50 feet above the ground. The south window has three lights and tracery, and the windows in the two transept gables are triple lancets ; while a rose window, about 10ft. in diameter, gives light from the north end. The nave is 44 feet by 18 feet, whilst in either side there is a transept, separated from the main area by wrought-iron gates and curtains, for use by worshippers of the Roman and Anglican communions. The whole of the furnishings are in oak. The inside walls are of polished freestone, and the windows are all deeply moulded, the jambs and mullions being finished with shafts of grey Kilkenny marble and carved capitals. The roof is also in oak, panelled, and the arched ribs rising from the carved couples divide the interior into three bays. The floor of the chapel is laid with oak parquetry, stained and polished. A corridor. 9 feet wide, connects the church with the infirmary. Messrs. Ross and Macbeth, Inverness, were the architects [Building News 10 June 1898 p814]

Royal Northern Infirmary, Tweedmouth Memorial Chapel

Royal Northern Infirmary, Victoria Nurses' Home

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The following books contain references to this building:

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Author	Year	Title	Publisher	Notes
Colvin, Howard	2008	A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840	London: YUP. 4th edition
Gifford, John	1992	Highland and Islands (The Buildings of Scotland)	Penguin Books	p196
MacKenzie, T C	1946	The Story of a Scottish Voluntary Hospital	Inverness
Richardson, Harriet	n.d.	Scottish Hospitals Survey	Unpublished typescript (copy in DMW Archive)

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The following periodicals contain references to this building:

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Periodical Name	Date	Edition	Notes
Architect and Building News	1936	Jan-Jun	p291
Inverness Advertiser	1865/05/30	*
Inverness Courier	1854/01/19	*
Inverness Courier	1896/09/01	*
Inverness Advertiser	1871/03/07	*
Inverness Courier	1845/04/16	*
Inverness Courier	1894/04/20	*
Inverness Courier	1896/07/07	*
Northern Chronicle	1908/07/29	*

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The following archives hold material relating to this building:

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Source	Name	Item Name	Notes
RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum	RIBA Nomination Papers		Norman Aitken Dick: F no2686 (box 10); John Hinton Gall: L v17 no1275; Robert John Macbeth: F v17 no 1115; William Wardlaw Sclanders: L v20 no1572 (particular phase of work not specified)
Historic Environment Scotland	Listed Buildings Register	46408	Porter's lodge
Highland Health Board Archives	Highland Health Board Archives	1/2/1, p12	Payment to Laing for plan in Infirmary building accounts. Also Burgh Treasurer's accounts.
Historic Environment Scotland	Listed Buildings Register	35332
Courtesy of Jim Brennan	Information sent via 'Contact Us' on website		Sent July 2010

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Basic Site Details

Alternative Names

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Building Type Classification

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Street Addresses

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Events

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People

Design and Construction

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Related Buildings, Structures and Designs

Child Structures

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References

Bibliographic References

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Periodical References

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Archive References

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