# Glencoe Hospital - Highlands - Feb 11



## Lolz101 (Mar 11, 2011)

So i finally wangled it, an escorted visit to Glencoe Hospital! 

Glencoe House was built by Lord Strathcona for his native american wife Isabella, a 4 storey, B-listed, imposing Victorian mansion, it was designed by Rowand Anderson and built in 1896 despite the proximity of Scotland's greatest slate quarry, Rowand Anderson preferred to indulge his penchant for polychromy, and the house was roofed with red clay tiles (replaced with local slate in the 1920s). The Strathcona Estate had grounds of about 130 acres, including the largest stretch of the River Coe; a half share of the historic Eilean Munde (traditional burial place of the McDonalds of Glencoe); The ruined Old Mill of Glencoe; the Crofters Common Grazings; the last remaining Ancient Woodlands of Glencoe; Fishing rights on Loch Triachtan; plus 8 miles of Salmon netting rights on Loch Leven.

The building was originally a family home then during the war, the house was converted into a war-time hospital in 1965 two wings were removed. Following the creation of the NHS it was used as a maternity hospital, cottage hospital and, most recently, as a facility for the care of the elderly. Allegedly the deeds of the building were gifted to the community, its still not known how the NHS acquired the deeds to the hospital?

It was considered by the NHS not to be cost effective to keep the care facility open, the community disagreed and fought for around 2 years to keep the hospital running they were keen to maintain the quality of care and the connection, local people being cared for by local carers. At one stage there was an opportunity for the community to buy the building and turn it into a wedding venue, cafe, community center or even an art gallery but for whatever reason the bid fell through. Some time in early 2009 the hospital closed with its remaining 3 patients transferred to a nearby nursing home. Its currently up for sale, price offers over £450,000 - get the wedge out, the closing date is 31st march 2011

Original building, before the wings were removed






Overlooking Loch Leven


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## Lolz101 (Mar 11, 2011)

The old greenhouse, which has a small building to the side of it with a chimney maybe for heating the greenhouse in the winter?










Rather a lot of shots, I hope you enjoyed them :thumb​


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## King Al (Mar 12, 2011)

Amazing looking place Lolz!! Great pics


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## ChrisM (Mar 12, 2011)

That is truly some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen in my entire life  the hospital's not bad either  cheers for this


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## lost (Mar 12, 2011)

Nice work, your photos are great and it looks grand inside. I've had a look around this place a couple of times, it's good to see it 'done' at last even officially.


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## RichardB (Mar 12, 2011)

I had a look around the outside last month, it's a beautiful location.

£450000 seems an absolute bargain, you could easily pay that for a Lego house on a new-build estate.


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## Lolz101 (Mar 12, 2011)

Thanks for the positive feedback! It's a fantastic location, when I'm old and grey this is the sort of elderly home I want to be in!!! Disapointly the other old folks home isn't nearly bask as picturesque as this ! It was a very strange explore, because of h&s we were required to wear hard hats!!! The heating is still on and so is the electricity - it can't be turned off because of the damp! They have some bad ass alarm system too


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## Walshy (Mar 12, 2011)

*Awesome pics ....*

Geez the UK have some fantastic old homes.
Pity most of them have been left to rot ....


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## MD (Mar 12, 2011)

stunning shots 
love the details


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## Foxylady (Mar 12, 2011)

Fab tour and pics, Lolz. Some great features remaining...love the ornamental plaster & the Dutch tiles, especially.


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## Walrus75 (Mar 12, 2011)

Nice pics.

Donald Alexander Smith, Lord Strathcona, did very well for himself especially when you consider where he started his life in Forres in Moray, Scotland (absolutely no intention of offending Forres folk here but you know what I mean). Son of an ex-soldierwho became a saddler who "...preferred the cheerful companionship of the tavern to the effort of making a living" Here's his birthplace :-






And the location nowadays (courtesy of GM): --> http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en...M-GNlppEZhHCifneF8irPg&cbp=12,114.61,,0,18.09
The original bridge to the left of the house was pretty much demolished during the great flood of 1829, god knows how the house fared but it looks OK in the piccy above (which was maybe taken 60 or so years later TBH).

By coincidence he attended the very school that my missus was the school secretary of for 10 years... obviously they weren't there at the same time!! 

He left Forres to take up a clerks position with the Hudson Bay Company in Canada... 4 months before his 18th birthday! He had to walk to Aberdeen to obtain a sea journey to London and from there onto Canada. The 'roads' back then were nothing better than... well, try to imagine a water logged farm track close to where you live. Forres is 75 miles from Aberdeen!!!

Between then and his death (well, earlier than his death actually) he achieved greatness - hopefully that's whetted your appetite to learn more about him.

He now lies in that burial place of so many other rich and/or famous people, Highgate Cemetary in London. Surely someone can get a picture of the grave to complete the thread 

An inspirational man if ever there was one.

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...dq=Lord Strathcona&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false


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## scottyg100 (Mar 13, 2011)

Rattles piggy bank clink clink, need to save up for at least another 70 years, its hard to have dreams of owning something amazing like that when we have a government too support


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## B7TMW (Mar 13, 2011)

Would make a fantastic country house hotel. Lovely decor.


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## tank2020 (Mar 13, 2011)

What a great place, i would buy it in a snap if I could.
They have the same chandellier as the old folks home i've been in down in Kent, albeit better condition, NHS must have got a job lot.

Summerlands Lodge - [ame="http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=18030"]http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=18030[/ame]

Thanks


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## V70 (Mar 13, 2011)

Ahh!!

We had a look at this place recently and wondered what was happening with it. Closing date at the end of the month... I wonder what its future is...

Great efforts with all the photos, nice stuff


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## tommo (Mar 13, 2011)

wow great looking place and some wicked history and old pics to go with it


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## skeleton key (Mar 13, 2011)

Great post and looks like you caught it at just the right time 
cracking 

SK


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## Lauren444 (Mar 13, 2011)

What a beautiful building, well done on getting in there, amazing pics as always, thankyou for sharing.


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## Lurkingwitch (Mar 14, 2011)

I must have passed this place countless times. Stunning photos, maybe we could all pool together and get a decent deposit between us!


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## Cuban B. (Mar 14, 2011)

Good stuff, this is a stunning little hospital. Although the asking price might not seem too high, I think it'll cost a lot to asbestos strip it.


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## Em_Ux (Mar 14, 2011)

Stunning!

The green houses look fab too!

Thanks


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## escortmad79 (Mar 18, 2011)

Wow! That looks great! Need to get back up North again!


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