Sunnyside Royal Hospital
- Former Royal Asylum of Montrose -
You’d need to go a long way to beat this big old slice of asylum Victoriana these days. In fact, you need to go a long way to see this one, it being tucked away in a corner of eastern Scotland few people have even heard of…
The Royal Asylum of Montrose was founded by Mrs Susan Carnegie in 1781 for the treatment of private patients and the poor, making it Scotland’s first and oldest psychic institution, but it wasn’t until 1858 that it transferred to this site on Sunnyside Farm at Hillside.
The E-plan Jacobean main building (1855-57 and category B listed) dominates the site, the fact that it overlooks huge open grounds making it look rather less imposing from afar than it is up close. Later additions were made to its rear and the site was further developed with other buildings to cope with increasing demand. An Infirmary was added (1888-91, category B listed) followed by Carnegie House for private patients (1895, category C listed). Howden Villa followed in 1901, and Northesk Villa in 1904 (now category C listed) for female patients.
A nurses’ home – Booth House (now category B listed) – was completed in 1935, followed by Angus House in 1939 to house elderly patients with dementia. A later monstrosity of a building was added to provide occupational therapy.
The site was wound down with the outlying buildings closing and being boarded up years in advance of the main building’s final closure in 2011, when all remaining services were transferred to a new Susan Carnegie Centre. The site, which is regarded as a rare complete example of such an institution, is due to be redeveloped as Sunnyside Park – but with only the main building, infirmary and Carnegie House set to be retained. Historic Environment Scotland has however objected to the demolition of six other listed structures on the site, including Booth House, the workshops, fire station and water tower, and work is yet to start.
On first inspection it seemed like the local joiners had been out in force, with every hole very recently patched up precluding access to most of the buildings. That was something of a shame, but after following a trail of breadcrumbs and observing the lie of the land, we found our way in to the main building.
Externals:
Main Building from the rear
Carnegie House
Booth House
The Infirmary
Water Tank
Northesk Villa
The suggestion that this should be demolished rather smacks of architectural vandalism...
Occupational Therapy
This carbuncle on the other hand can't be removed from the earth quickly enough...
It was wide open though and a quick look inside revealed your typical fit-out of its day:
Main Building internals
This seemed to be a building of two halves, with one very traditional and the other modernised at some point perhaps 40 or so years ago.
I've stuck largely to the old bits here...
Main Hall
Complete with magnificent barrel vaulted ceiling...
Board Room
Wards
(Continued in next post)
- Former Royal Asylum of Montrose -
You’d need to go a long way to beat this big old slice of asylum Victoriana these days. In fact, you need to go a long way to see this one, it being tucked away in a corner of eastern Scotland few people have even heard of…
The Royal Asylum of Montrose was founded by Mrs Susan Carnegie in 1781 for the treatment of private patients and the poor, making it Scotland’s first and oldest psychic institution, but it wasn’t until 1858 that it transferred to this site on Sunnyside Farm at Hillside.
The E-plan Jacobean main building (1855-57 and category B listed) dominates the site, the fact that it overlooks huge open grounds making it look rather less imposing from afar than it is up close. Later additions were made to its rear and the site was further developed with other buildings to cope with increasing demand. An Infirmary was added (1888-91, category B listed) followed by Carnegie House for private patients (1895, category C listed). Howden Villa followed in 1901, and Northesk Villa in 1904 (now category C listed) for female patients.
A nurses’ home – Booth House (now category B listed) – was completed in 1935, followed by Angus House in 1939 to house elderly patients with dementia. A later monstrosity of a building was added to provide occupational therapy.
The site was wound down with the outlying buildings closing and being boarded up years in advance of the main building’s final closure in 2011, when all remaining services were transferred to a new Susan Carnegie Centre. The site, which is regarded as a rare complete example of such an institution, is due to be redeveloped as Sunnyside Park – but with only the main building, infirmary and Carnegie House set to be retained. Historic Environment Scotland has however objected to the demolition of six other listed structures on the site, including Booth House, the workshops, fire station and water tower, and work is yet to start.
On first inspection it seemed like the local joiners had been out in force, with every hole very recently patched up precluding access to most of the buildings. That was something of a shame, but after following a trail of breadcrumbs and observing the lie of the land, we found our way in to the main building.
Externals:
Main Building from the rear
Carnegie House
Booth House
The Infirmary
Water Tank
Northesk Villa
The suggestion that this should be demolished rather smacks of architectural vandalism...
Occupational Therapy
This carbuncle on the other hand can't be removed from the earth quickly enough...
It was wide open though and a quick look inside revealed your typical fit-out of its day:
Main Building internals
This seemed to be a building of two halves, with one very traditional and the other modernised at some point perhaps 40 or so years ago.
I've stuck largely to the old bits here...
Main Hall
Complete with magnificent barrel vaulted ceiling...
Board Room
Wards
(Continued in next post)