Ownership of the former Leanchoil Hospital has been formally transferred to the Leanchoil Trust on behalf of the Forres community. This marks a significant milestone in the long‑term project to bring the historic site back into community use.
The transfer was completed this week following the recent approval of the Trust’s planning application for the refurbishment and conservation of the main building and the creation of a 41-unit supported accommodation development on the site.
The hospital was closed by NHS Grampian in 2018.
The purchase of the nine-and-a-half-acre site from NHS Grampian as a Community Asset Transfer (CAT) was made possible by a £339,500 grant from the Scottish Land Fund. The CAT is the first ever such property disposal by NHS Grampian.
Building warrant
The Leanchoil Trust will now start the process of securing a Building Warrant from Moray Council.
Speaking yesterday as the transfer was concluded, trustee and Forres Community Councillor Graham Murdoch said he was delighted that this vital stage has been reached.
“It has taken a far longer time to get here than any of us envisaged – we started this process in 2018 – but a lot of people have put in a lot of work to get here,” he said.
“Having the backing of the wider Forres community has been critical to getting to this point, along with the patience and support from NHS Grampian, Moray Council, Hanover Scotland and organisations that have provided funding.”
The Leanchoil Trust now takes on responsibility for the security of the site, insurance and general maintenance. The building of the new supported accommodation development on the site of the former maternity wing will be undertaken and managed by Hanover Scotland. This and the trust’s work to bring the main hospital building back into service for the community will commence once the building warrant is secured.
Fundraising starts for £8m refurbishment
Chair of Trustees, Marianne Nicolson, said the next step for the Trust is to secure funding for the refurbishment work, and a fund-raising campaign will be launched shortly.
“We are so grateful to all the organisations that have supported us so far, such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Berry Burn Community Fund, the Crown Estates, the Architectural Heritage Fund, the Scottish Land Fund and the Pilgrim Trust. Local individuals, such as our loyal friend Albert Duffus and all our members have also been a great source of support.
“We now need to raise about £8 million to finance the conservation and refurbishment work. It’s a huge sum but this is the biggest project of its kind and will be transformative for the local community.
“It may be some months before we see the start of construction work at Leanchoil, but before then we are keen to tidy the site and generally look after the buildings. To this end we will be encouraging engagement and help from the local community. We would love to hear from people of any age who are keen to volunteer as well as those who are interested in joining the board of Trustees to direct Leanchoil towards its exciting and successful future.”
To get in touch email info@leanchoiltrust.org