Kingseat Hospital, Recreation Hall

Large stone built recreation hall with steeply pitched slated roof over with 4 ridge ventilators. Five tall clerestory windows are placed on each of the main elevations. Lower buildings abut the shorter elevations.

Designed by Marshall Mackenzie on the segregate or village system, Kingseat was the first asylum of its to begin construction in the United Kingdom (although Bangour was the first to open). The ceremony of cutting the turf was performed 12 January 1901, with the foundation stone laid on 14 September 1901, opening to patients on 16 May 1904. The total cost for purchasing the land, constructing the buildings and buying equipment for 500 beds was £123,300.

The original institution consisted of a main hospital block, ten patient villas, staff accomodation and other support buildings. The villas were split by gender and then by category of patient. Over the next 23 years a further 3 villas, additional cottages for married staff and a new farm steading were constructed. A further 3 villas were built between 1927 and 1965 accomodating a total of 810 patients.

The hospital was commandeered by the navy during WW2 for casulties from the Atlantic and Artic Theatres of War, eventually becoming the largest naval hospital in the Empire. As part of the legislative changes in the care of the mentally ill towards "care in the community", a review of mental health institutions in the Grampian region lead to the closure of the hospital in April 1994. (Aberdeenshire Council)