More people across the Highlands and Islands will be able to access residential rehabilitation and dedicated detox services following a £1.7 million investment in CrossReach facilities in Inverness.
The Scottish Government funding will allow CrossReach to purchase Cale House from its current landlord and renovate the building as part of a wider expansion of addiction recovery services.
The development will create six additional residential rehabilitation beds capable of providing up to 24 placements each year.
Two dedicated detox beds will also be introduced, providing capacity for up to 26 placements annually.
Another 14 supported move on beds will be maintained, providing accommodation for people reaching the later stages of their recovery.
The investment is the latest in a series of expansions to CrossReach services in Inverness serving people from across the Highlands, Western Isles and Northern Isles.
In 2023, the Scottish Government provided £2.39 million to expand residential rehabilitation capacity at Beechwood House, while Nevis House opened in 2025 with additional capacity.
The latest development is intended to create a clearer pathway through detoxification, residential rehabilitation and eventually supported living.
Health Secretary Angela Constance said:
“I have seen first-hand the impact that CrossReach’s residential rehab services can have, and this latest investment is the third significant Scottish Government commitment to its recovery services in Inverness.
“These services have given more people across the Highlands and Islands the chance to start and continue their recovery journey.
“They will help more people get treatment and recovery support closer to home and help us achieve our ambitious target of 1,000 people accessing public funding for their placement every year.
“As well as giving more people access to residential rehabilitation, including from rural areas, the revamped Cale House will help remove barriers to treatment by introducing dedicated detox provision.”
CrossReach Adult Care Director Vic Walker said:
“CrossReach works closely with partners to help people affected by alcohol or drug use across the Highlands, Western Isles and Northern Isles.
“We welcome this Scottish Government investment, which secures the future of Cale House and builds on its 30-year history of supporting people to improve their lives.
“The renovation will upgrade the facilities and expand the support available at Cale House, as well as at our rehabilitation services at Beechwood House and Nevis House.
“People need quick and easy access to treatment and recovery services that can save and transform lives.
“This includes a range of support starting with detoxification where a person is supported to stabilise and reduce substance use, followed by a structured programme of rehab and then supported living.
“We know this approach works.
“More people are rebuilding their lives after benefiting from these services and are now encouraging others to seek support.”
The investment forms part of Scotland’s wider Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan, with more than £160 million allocated to alcohol and drug policy during 2026 and 2027.
For the Highlands and Islands, the expansion addresses the additional difficulty created when people living in rural and island communities have to travel significant distances to access specialist treatment.
Bringing detoxification, rehabilitation and supported living together within the Inverness recovery network should mean more people can receive different stages of their treatment closer to home.
For Cale House, it also secures the future of a service that has been supporting people for three decades while giving it a substantially expanded role in the years ahead.
