A new £11 million care home in Inverness is nearing completion as it looks to address the lack of available beds.
Parklands Care Homes is building a new flagship home in the capital of the Highlands and is on track to open in late May.
Pittyvaich in Milton of Leys will combine “modern comfort with stunning surroundings” with 58 bedrooms.
Managing director Ron Taylor believes the project is vital to making sure “Inverness has the care it deserves”.
‘The only thing that should change is your postcode’
Mr Taylor is keen to use the first phase of the project to address care demand in the north of Scotland.
Parklands has 12 care homes across the Highlands, Moray and Aberdeenshire.
The firm said the Highlands has lost more than 200 beds in the last two years.
Mr Taylor said: “Every one of our Highland homes has a waiting list of 20 plus.
“The first phase of this project will help to address that and in the second phase we’ll add a later living village, with 11 bungalows.
“It’s a critical time for the care sector. The National Insurance changes were a shock. The latest budget will cost us £960,000 annually, an extra £80,000 a month.”
Mr Taylor wants everyone to feel at home when they enter the Parklands Inverness care home.
The new care home, Pittyvaich, is named after a now-closed distillery in Dufftown which his grandfather opened.
He added: “When you come into a care home, the only thing that should change is your postcode.
“The sector and what it offers has changed so much in the past decade. You should be able to lead the life you want to live.”
Parklands Inverness care home
As well as its 58 en-suite rooms, the new care home will also feature a cafe, four dining quarters, quiet rooms, comfortable lounges and a salon.
Mr Taylor said: “This is the biggest project which we have ever done. We always felt Inverness needed another care home.
“We’re very fortunate to have a really strong brand reputation as well as our care.
“When I saw this site I thought it was amazing for a care home, the view is fantastic overlooking Inverness.
“This has been a long time in the making. The first company which took on the project went into administration two years ago.
“We bought the site in 2017 so here we are, eight years later, we always knew it would happen but we had to make sure the stars aligned.
“Capstone took on the project towards the end of 2023 and now we’re looking forward to opening our doors in spring.”
Conversation