Moray care home operator Parklands reveals £500k plans to expand Highland facility
The group is looking to upgrade its Eilean Dubh care home in Fortrose, which opened in 2021.
If approved by Highland Council, Parklands will add four new bedrooms as well as four additional parking spaces.
Parklands said Eilean Dubh care home has an extensive waiting list, which is reflected by its recent Care Inspectorate grade 5 (very good).
Managing director Ron Taylor said there is an 'urgent need' for action in Highland care homes.
Parklands also launched £4 million plans for its Tain and Grantown care homes earlier this year.
Mr Taylor said: 'We are seeing strong demand for care services across the Highlands, and we're doing what we can to meet that urgent need.
'By creating an additional 84 places in Inverness, Tain, Fortrose and Grantown.
'This investment will ensure that more older people can receive high quality care close to their families and communities.'
Mr Taylor believes the care sector is under 'real strain' in the Highlands. He said it has lost more than 200 Highland care home beds in the past two years.
Speaking on the Tain and Grantown expansion plans, he added: 'At a time when capacity is shrinking, Parklands is investing in its communities and expanding to meet demand.'
The Moray care home operator has also revealed its new Inverness care home is set to welcome its first residents on June 16.
Pittyvaich is an £11m project in Milton of Leys and will combine 'modern comfort with stunning surroundings' with 58 bedrooms.
It is the first care home to be built in the Highland capital in five years and represents a 'significant investment in the future of care in the Highlands'.
Parklands said it will offer modern facilities and a warm, supportive environment for older people in and around the city.
The building will be handed over by contractors Capstone Construction at the end of May.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
6 hours ago
- BBC News
Family proves insurers can be challenged in ancient oak row
A family has spent thousands proving insurers can be challenged following a dispute over the removal of an ancient oak Devon District Council agreed on Monday to block an insurance company's application to cut down the tree, following a major campaign by Linda and Scott Taylor Cantrill, whose Exmouth home is near to the argued the tree was wrongly blamed for their property's subsidence and highlighted its vital role in supporting their son Redd, who is deaf-blind and LV General Insurance, owned by Allianz, has now contacted the family to discuss alternative solutions for stabilising their home. The family interrupted their holiday to attend the council meeting on Monday, where they joined dozens of supporters, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).More than 95 people subjected letters of objection to the application, and the committee's decision was met with cheers from the public."This tree is essential for Redd's wellbeing," said Ms Taylor Cantrill. "It provides filtered shade, allowing him to safely play outside."The couple had already removed around 20 trees from their back garden at the request of LV. However, they maintained that the oak was not responsible for the subsidence, a claim supported by East Devon District Council's arboricultural Taylor Cantrill, a construction professional, criticised the insurer's assessment, saying no roots were found near the house and no proper investigation had been couple said they had spent thousands on expert reports to prove their case. "It's a huge relief," said Ms Taylor Cantrill. "We've shown that insurers can be challenged."Local councillor Dan Wilson praised the outcome as a "fantastic display of people power" and called for legal reforms to protect councils from liability when rejecting such applications.
BBC News
9 hours ago
- BBC News
Shut down Roy Bridge School could become affordable homes
A Lochaber school that was shut down eight years ago looks set to be redeveloped as affordable Bridge Primary, near Fort William, was closed in 2017 after the school roll fell to just two charity Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge and Achnacarry SCIO has proposed building a two-bedroom bungalow, four two-bedroom semi-detached houses and two larger family homes on the school's Victorian-era classroom could be transformed into two one-bedroom apartments, which would initially be used as holiday lets to generate income to help cover the project's costs. Highland Council officials have recommended councillors agree to the sale of the local authority-owned school to the charity at a discounted price of about £100, the plans, the new homes would be available for rent to young people and holiday apartments could also become affordable homes at a later date.A lack of affordable housing has been a long-running problem in the Highlands.A year ago, Highland Council said its area needed an extra 24,000 houses over the next 10 years.
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Kate Forbes's resignation may be welcome for left of SNP
IN a surprising announcement, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has announced that she will not be standing for re-election as an MSP at the next Scottish parliament elections due in May next year. First elected as an MSP in 2016 and a fluent Gaelic speaker, she has served as Deputy First Minister of Scotland and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and [[Gaelic]] since May 2024. In her letter announcing that she would not be seeking re-election, she cited her wish to spend more time with her young family. Her daughter Naomi was born in summer 2022. She also has step-children from her husband's first marriage. Her husband Ali's first wife died suddenly in 2014. READ MORE: Highland Council set for by-election after Green resigns seat In her announcement she wrote: "It has been a great honour to serve Highland communities for almost a decade. I am grateful to every voter who re-elected me at the last election with the biggest majority in Scotland. 'I have also been privileged to serve in Government, first as Minister for Public Finance, then as Cabinet Secretary for Finance and most recently as Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic. 'As I reflected over recess, I have concluded that I do not wish to seek re-election for another five-year term in the Scottish Parliament. 'All politicians face a choice at every election to stay on the same path or not. Quite simply, I've decided on the latter. I remain wholly supportive of the First Minister just as when I backed him to be leader of the SNP and I look forward to campaigning for the SNP at the next election – to lead Scotland to independence.' Forbes stood for election as party leader following the resignation of Nicola Sturgeon, coming second behind Humza Yousaf. She scuppered her campaign early on by saying in an interview that she would not have supported equal marriage as recognising same sex marriages runs counter to her religious beliefs. Forbes is a member of the Christian fundamentalist Free Church of Scotland, for which her father was a missionary in India. Her socially conservative beliefs and conservative economic policies put her firmly on the right of the SNP. Her support for freeports left many SNP members feeling uncomfortable. Although she never mentioned her explicitly, Forbes's elevation to the post of Deputy First Minister seems to have been one of the reasons former MP Mhairi Black recently resigned from the SNP, citing her unhappiness with the direction that the party had been taking. Black was not alone. Forbes' resignation has been welcomed on social media by those who believe that in order to win back the trust of younger voters and working-class communities, the SNP needs to promote more assertively left wing, climate-friendly economic policies. They hope that this development will signal a leftward pivot from the SNP, marking a clear political and economic distinction between the SNP and the increasingly right-wing Labour party. READ MORE: From rising star to Deputy First Minister – Kate Forbes' career as she stands down However, whatever your views on Kate Forbes, her standing down will be a big loss to Holyrood and Government, and yet another indication the price on their family lives MSPs representing Highlands and Islands constituencies are expected to pay. First Minister John Swinney paid tribute to his deputy, writing on Twitter/X: "I pay tribute to Kate for her invaluable contribution to public life over the last ten years. The challenges of frontline politics are considerable, and I understand the decision she has made.' He then added: 'Although I wish it was not the case.' Health Secretary Neil Gray also said he was "very sorry" to hear the news but does "understand why". Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "The pressures on any working mum is considerable but to combine that with senior ministerial responsibilities alongside a young family while serving your constituency is colossal. I wish Kate and her family all the best for whatever comes next." Today's announcement means that the [[SNP]] must run a fresh selection contest to find a new candidate for Forbes's Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency. Forbes's position had been confirmed in April when the SNP revealed that she had been the only nominee to stand in the area, meaning there is no second-place challenger to step in and take her place. READ MORE: What Kate Forbes's exit means for future SNP leadership hopefuls The SNP announced their full slate of nominees for the 2026 Holyrood elections in May, meaning that Forbes's constituency is currently the only area without a confirmed party candidate. In the 2021 elections, Forbes won 56.1% of the vote, while the Tories came second on 19.3%. The LibDems were in third with 15.7%. However, at last year's Westminster election, the Lib Dems took the overlapping [[Westminster]] constituency of Inverness, [[Skye]], and West Ross-shire with 37.8% of the vote against 33.3% for the [[SNP]]'s Drew Hendry.
