The hospital was financed by Lord Strathcona to serve the population of his native Forres and the surrounding area.[1] It was designed by John Rhind[2] and was named after the farm on which Strathcona had grown up with his mother.[3] It was opened to patients in April 1892.[2] On his death in 1914, Strathcona left a further bequest of £10,000 to the hospital.[4] A maternity wing was added in 1940[2] and it joined the National Health Service in 1948.[5]
The hospital closed temporarily in January 2011 following an electrical fault[6] but reopened in December 2011 once extensive renovations had been completed.[7] There were only 9 inpatient beds available after it reopened.[7]
NHS Grampian announced in November 2018 that, as they had no means to invest, the hospital, which had already been temporarily closed two months earlier,[8] would close permanently.[9]
Services
The hospital had 9 beds providing medical care, rehabilitation, assessment, palliative/terminal care, convalescence and respite care. The beds were in 4-bedded rooms which are divided into male and female wards, and there was one single palliative care suite.[1]
