L’Arche Highland is based in Inverness, Scotland, the UK’s most northerly and fastest growing city.

Inverness is set on the River Ness, which flows from the famous Loch Ness and it known as the ‘Capital of the Highlands’. We are lucky to be surrounded by some of the most majestic scenery in the UK and to have salmon swimming through our city centre and deer running through our gardens.

Our Community is the second oldest L’Arche Community in the UK as it was established in 1975. We were founded by Therese Vanier, a distinguished doctor and early protagonist of the hospice movement as well as Elizabeth Buckley as the first Community Leader.

L’Arche was fortunate enough to be gifted Braerannoch, the beautiful home of William Birnie, the Director of the local Glen Mhor and Glenalbyn whiskey distilleries, by his daughter Jean Graham. Our founding Core Members, Ian Cameron; Raymond MacDonald; Pat Cameron and Doreen Fraser, moved into Braerannoch directly from Craig Phadrig Hospital in Inverness. In the early days the Community was supported by Lady Maud Baillie of Dochfour, Lady Rosie Lovat as well as Malcolm and Kathy Fraser of Reelig.

Today, L’Arche Highland is a large and vibrant Community well integrated into the life of Inverness.

Take a look at our stories to meet some of the people in our Community.

Our stories

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