Strathpeffer Spa Pavilion () was commissioned by the

Countess of Cromartie Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

in the late 19th century, to serve as a social and entertainment centre for

Strathpeffer Strathpeffer ( gd, Srath Pheofhair) is a village and spa town in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland, with a population of 1,469. Geography It lies in a strath west of Dingwall, with the elevation ranging from above sea level. Sheltered on ...

's many visitors. Formerly just a collection of farms in a Scottish Highland Strath, the village of Strathpeffer developed and became a popular

health resort A destination spa or health resort is a resort centered on a spa, such as a mineral spa. Historically, many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or mineral springs; in the era before modern biochemical knowledge and p ...

(then the most northerly spa in Europe) in the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

, when local spring waters were discovered to have health-giving properties. Opened by the Countess of Cromartie in 1881, the Pavilion provided entertainment in the form of dances, concerts, lectures etc. Famous speakers included suffragette

Emmeline Pankhurst Emmeline Pankhurst ('' née'' Goulden; 15 July 1858 – 14 June 1928) was an English political activist who organised the UK suffragette movement and helped women win the right to vote. In 1999, ''Time'' named her as one of the 100 Most Impo ...

and explorer

Ernest Shackleton Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of ...

. During the First World War (1914–18), many of the large houses and hotels in Strathpeffer were requisitioned by the

armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

and the Pavilion was taken over by the US Navy and used as a hospital. After the War, the popularity of the spa declined and the Pavilion was used only as an occasional venue for events, until it was acquired by Harry McGhee's Highland Lass Estates and was completely restored and refurbished, re-opening in 1960 as a licensed

dance hall Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for Dance, dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub. The majority of towns and citi ...

and concert venue, becoming hugely popular, with people coming to the dances from all over the Highlands. The venue was even visited by the Beatles in January 1963 but, contrary to popular lore, they never actually performed at the Pavilion. Thereafter, the building was acquired by a large hotel group and was allowed to fall into disrepair, being used only occasionally for concerts and other events. Eventually, it was acquired by The

Highland Council The Highland Council (' ), the political body covering the Highland local authority created in 1995, comprises 21 wards, each electing three or four councillors by the single transferable vote system, which creates a form of proportional represe ...

, who passed it on to the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust (SHBT). SHBT then masterminded a huge

fund-raising Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...

and restoration project, with a view to restoring the much-altered building to its original Victorian splendour, with the addition of requisite modern facilities. The restoration was carried out in 2003-2004 by architects LDN and the Pavilion re-opened in autumn 2004. It was then a multi-purpose venue for the

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perform ...

, dances, conferences, weddings and a variety of exhibitions, festivals and other events. The Pavilion returned to community ownership in 2019.

References

External links

Official website

TheStrath.co.uk
lists all the performers in the Pavilion in the 1960s and 1970s {{coord, 57.5874, -4.5376, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Ross and Cromarty Music venues in Highland (council area) Buildings and structures in Highland (council area) Category B listed buildings in Highland (council area)