Grantown-based Parklands Care Homes has acquired 19-bed Mo Dhachaidh Care Home in Ullapool in the Scottish Highlands, from Barchester Healthcare.

The family-run operator said it planned to invest in the home and in the local community, with better facilities for residents. An initial £400,000 refurbishment of bedroom and communal facilities in the care home is planned by Parklands and, longer term, the company may look to expand the number of beds.

A recruitment drive has been launched in the area to attract new employees. Parklands also plans to refurbish an existing building used for on-site staff accommodation and will provide cash incentives for new employees, worth £2,000 for new nurses and £250 for other care staff.

Mo Dhachaidh Care Home becomes the tenth home in the Parklands group, which includes homes in Tain, Muir of Ord, Fortrose, Grantown, Aberlour, Keith and Buckie.

The company employs almost 700 staff across the region and provides residential care for around 350 older people.

Ron Taylor, managing director of Parklands Care Homes said: “Parklands has a strong track record of investing in communities like Ullapool. Many of our care homes are in small, rural communities like Keith, Aberlour and Muir of Ord, so Ullapool fits our model very well.

“We have almost 30 years’ experience caring for older people in the north and we are committed to delivering the highest standards of care for residents at Mo Dhachaidh, as well as new career opportunities for local people.

“We’re here for the long term. We want to sustain and develop care services in the area. With a growing elderly population in the Highlands, it is vital that we do everything we can to ensure the long-term viability of care provision in remote areas like Ullapool.

“Parklands has shown elsewhere in the Highlands that it is prepared to make such an investment. We’re very excited, we have a very energetic team who are keen to promote the very high standards of care that Parklands offers.

“We look forward to working with the team at Mo Dhachaidh and the wider community, including local schools, nurseries and charities, to make this a home that is very much at the heart of the local community.”

Existing Mo Dhachaidh employees will be transferred to Parklands under their pre-existing employment terms and conditions.

Parklands has invested £16 million on new care home facilities in the Highlands since 2014 and is currently investing around £8 million on the first phase of a new integrated care hub in Inverness. Phase one will comprise a 58-bed care home in the Milton of Leys area of the city. The second phase will comprise a later living village with 11 detached properties for sale to older people. The company is also seeking planning consent to build 24 affordable homes for care workers in the city.