SCOTLAND'S first children's hospice, Rachel House at Kinross, was opened officially by the Princess Royal yesterday. The #10m state-of-the-art facility will support up to 200 families with seriously ill children.
The Princess Royal, patron of Save the Children, toured the hospice and talked to families from all over Scotland who use it. She also met many of the fund-raisers who helped in an appeal for #10m to build and equip it.
The princess was welcomed by local Rainbow Guides, Brownies, Guides, and members of the Boys' Brigade. Before the Princess Royal left, she unveiled a commemorative sundial.
Eight families at a time can enjoy the accommodation and playrooms at the hospice, which is operated by the Children's Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) and has been open since March. Its running costs are #1m a year.
Mrs Margaret McKay, chief executive of CHAS, said around 1300 families in Scotland had a child who was suffering from a condition which limited or threatened life.
``When it is known that life is short, two things become very important to a family: the quality of life and the enjoyment of the time which is left,'' Mrs McKay said.
``The children's hospice will be a home from home offering a place where families can relax, recharge their batteries, and have fun with their children, safe in the knowledge that expert care is on hand to help them make the most of each day.''
The hospice is named after American heiress Rachel MacRobert, who had no family to leave her fortune to when she died. The Rachel MacRobert Trust donated #2m to the project.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, Minister of State at the Scottish Office, who toured the hospice yesterday, welcomed its official opening and said it had already proved its value.
``One mother was so moved after her family's visit that she descibed it as `a piece of Heaven on earth'. Her views will, I am sure, be shared by many others in years to come,'' Lord James said.
He added that the Government had made a total contribution of #1.25m towards running costs to help the hospice to get off to a sound start, and would continue to make a grant of #25,000 a year towards the running costs of CHAS's headquarters in Edinburgh.
At lunchtime yesterday, the Princess Royal visited Edinburgh Zoo. She is an honorary member of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
She had opened the zoo's Darwin Maze last year and had requested yesterday's visit to see some of the animals. In the monkey house, she was shown a table of primate skulls, including a human skull, and asked: ``Is it anyone we know?''
In Edinburgh yesterday afternoon, the Princess Royal unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the start of work on the latest addition to the Water of Leith walkway and then inaugurated the Leith Campus of Queen Margaret College at Duke Street, Leith. She was shown research work being carried out by students and staff at the college.
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