Royal Northern Infirmary

Royal Northern Infirmary
NHS Highland
Royal Northern Infirmary
Shown in Inverness
Geography
Location	Ness Walk, Inverness, Highland IV3 5SF, Scotland
Coordinates	57°28′15″N4°13′55″W / 57.4707°N 4.2319°W / 57.4707; -4.2319
Organisation
Care system	NHS Scotland
Type	General
History
Opened	1804

The Royal Northern Infirmary was a health facility in Ness Walk, Inverness, Scotland. The site remains the home of a small facility, known as the RNI Community Hospital, which was built in the grounds of the old hospital and is managed by NHS Highland.

History

The structure was financed by public subscription. Subscribers included a member of the hospital board of management, John Ross (1782–1849), who had emigrated from Golspie to Berbice. ^[1] His money was generated by the colonized plantations, worked by indentured servants of British Guiana, now the independent nation of Guyana. ^{[2] [3]} Construction of the facility, which was designed by John Smith of Banff in the neoclassical style, began in 1799 and the building was opened in 1804. ^{[4] [5]}

A continuous three‑storey facade, designed by Matthews & Lawrie, was added in 1865 and an operating theatre extension, designed by Ross & Macbeth, jutting out of the front facade was added in 1898. ^[4] A chapel, financed by Lady Tweedmouth in memory of her husband, Lord Tweedmouth, was also added in 1898 ^[6] and a nurses' home was completed in 1899. ^[7] It joined the National Health Service in 1948. ^[8] After services transferred to a community hospital built in the grounds of the infirmary in 1999, the main building closed and was subsequently converted for use as the headquarters of the University of the Highlands and Islands. ^[9]

In 2023, the University put the former Infirmary building up for sale. It was reported as under offer in November 2025. ^[10]

References

1. "John Ross". Slaves and Highlanders. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
2. Gaiutra, Bahadur (2014). Coolie Woman. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. ISBN   978-0226211381.
3. "New maps charts deep links between Inverness and the slave trade". The Scotsman. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
4. "Royal Northern Infirmary". Historic Hospitals. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
5. Gifford, John (2003). Highland and islands (1 ed.). New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 196. ISBN   0-300-09625-9.
6. "Ness Walk, Royal Northern Infirmary And Tweedmouth Memorial Chapel". Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
7. "Ness Walk, Royal Northern Infirmary, Former Nurses' Home". Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
8. "Royal Northern Infirmary, Inverness". National Archives. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
9. "Forward thinking needed for historic RNI building". The Inverness Courier. 28 June 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
10. Murray, Philip. "Inverness's historic River Ness landmark, the 19th century Royal Northern Infirmary (RNI) building, may have a new owner after estate agency Graham & Sibbald listed the Highland site as "under offer"". Inverness Courier. Retrieved 18 November 2025.