A new multi-million-pound care home has opened in Inverness, marking the first step in an ambitious vision to create a new care community for the city.

Pittyvaich Care Home is the 13th home in the Parklands Care Homes group.

With 58 en-suite bedrooms, the £11m project is the largest purpose-built care facility in the group and the first new care home to open in Inverness in five years.

Residents will have access to a café, salon, lounges, activities room, quiet spaces, and landscaped gardens.

And many of the home’s spacious rooms offer commanding views over the Moray Firth.

Located close to a school, nursery, and several churches, Pittyvaich is intended to become an integral part of the local community.

The home is also expected to create around 120 jobs in the local area.

It was built by Inverness-based Capstone Construction, supporting jobs and investment during the build phase.

And it marks the first stage in Parklands’ plan to develop an integrated care community in Inverness – the first of its kind in the Highlands.

Future phases will include a later living village, designed to support independent living for older people; and keyworker apartments, helping to ease pressure on local housing and support recruitment.

The group is also expanding its existing Highland homes, with an additional 12 beds in Tain, four in Fortrose, and 10 in Grantown on Spey.

This means that, over the course of the next year, and subject to planning consent, Parklands will create an additional 26 beds in the Highlands at a cost of £4.5m, bringing the overall total to 84 additional beds.

Ron Taylor, managing director of Parklands Care Homes, said: “Pittyvaich is more than just a care home – it’s a symbol of our long-term commitment to the Highlands.

“At a time when the region has lost over 200 care beds, this investment is more urgent than ever.

“We’re responding to that need by investing in the future of care – creating jobs, supporting families, and building something that will serve this community for years to come.

“This is just the first step in our ambitious vision for a new care community in Inverness – a place where older people can live with dignity, independence, and support, and where keyworkers have access to affordable accommodation.”

Highlands and Islands MSP, Rhoda Grant, added: “We know that social care provision in the Highlands is under real pressure, with demand growing as our population ages. That’s why investment in new care homes like Pittyvaich in Inverness – and the planned expansions in Tain, Fortrose, and Grantown – is so important.

“These developments will help address a pressing need for high-quality care in our communities and I welcome the contribution they will make to supporting older people and their families across the region.”

Pittyvaich takes its name from the Speyside distillery in Dufftown once managed by Taylor’s grandfather, Andrew.