Rose Innes Hospital

The Rose Innes Hospital was built as the result of a bequest made by Elizabeth Ogilvie Rose Innes

Rose Innes and Netherdale House
The mansion now known as Netherdale House was built in 1795 by Miss Elizabeth Mary Innes of Netherdale, daughter of Thomas Innes of Monellie, the younger brother of an Innes of Edingight. In 1797 Elizabeth married James Rose, a son of Rose of Gask near Turriff, who assumed the name of Rose-Innes. The estate had previously been called Pittendreich (Mains of Pittendrieih farm kept the name), but Elizabeth renamed it Netherdale.
The third son of the marriage, James, died in 1845, predeceased by his wife in 1836. Their son Thomas Gilzean Innes became laird. His sister Elizabeth Ogilvie Rose Innes lived at Netherdale Cottage, Auldtown of Netherdale.
She died in 1890 and bequeathed the sum of five thousand pounds sterling free of legacy duties for the purpose of building and endowing a Cottage Hospital in Aberchirder, to be known as Rose Innes Cottage Hospital.

Auldtown of Netherdale Villa, 2009

The foundation stone was laid by a relative of Miss Rose Innes on 18 May 1891, which was declared a half-holiday by Aberchirder’s Police Commissioners (Town Council). It was recommended that all shops and places of business be closed from 2:30 – 4:30pm and flags be flown. A bottle of coins was buried beneath the stone.

Foundation Stone, Rose Innes Hospital

The hospital was duly completed and furnished by 1895 and the balance of money amounting to £2824.16s.0d was invested in a trust.
The hospital consisted of four small wards, an operating theatre and a gifted x-ray unit. It also owned a horse-drawn ambulance and a horse-drawn hearse.

Rose Innes Hospital from South Street c.1900

Two years later the Town Council made an agreement with the Duke of Fife’s factor whereby the Burgh would pay £10 a year for the right to send infectious disease cases to Rose Innes, on the condition that patients were charged 1 shilling per day.