Hospitals in medieval Scotland can be dated back to the 12th century. From c. 1144 to about 1650 many hospitals, bedehouses and maisons Dieu were built in Scotland.
There are many terms that apply to, or describe a hospital. The origin of the English term, "hospital", is probably from the French or Latin. English and European terms for hospital appear to have a common root. "Hospital" – from the Latin – "a place of rest for guests". Other terms are recognized. Almshouse; bede house; chantry; God's house; infirmary; spital; Domus hopitalis Sancti Spiritus (Latin); Gasthuis (German); Godshuis (Dut) ; Hôpital (Fr) ; Hôtel-Dieu (French); Krankenhaus (German); Maison dieu (French); ospedale (Italian); Sjukhus (Swedish); xenodochium (Greek).
Records provide evidence of more than 180 hospitals in Scotland. The term "spit(t)al" or "temple/templar" may also indicate land endowed by churches or monasteries as well as sites associated with the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitallers. Many hospitals were in the north east of Scotland in the cities of Dundee, Old Aberdeen and Aberdeen and across Aberdeenshire.
Background
Close to one thousand hospitals in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland were founded during a period of six hundred years. To begin with the causes for the building of hospitals across Europe and in Great Britain can be found in the Western Catholic Church's teaching related to Charity and Piety together that of Purgatory. In practice, the theologies of charity, piety and purgatory supported each other. Piety had three related meanings. First the sense of showing compassion; second the religious sense of Godliness and devoutness; and third, the sense of duty and respect. Taken together these meanings for piety suggest "a sense of compassion and respect driven by a religious duty". Similarly, poverty was seen as the normal condition of having few materials possessions or wealth. The nobility and royalty had wealth and influence. It was "normal" for others to be "poor". Poverty for many was close to a state of complete destitution. The Church taught that piety was a duty born in religious conviction. Also that poverty was not necessarily a fall from grace, rather it was an opportunity to follow the Christian teaching "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy...." (Matthew, 5:7) In this complex of supporting and contrasting theories hospitals were built by the Church for multiple reasons. In Great Britain, it was not until the Reformation in the sixteenth century that civic authorities had to face poverty, ageing and a revised approach to charity and piety by the churches.
Hospitals in England and Wales
Before considering Scotland, the situation in England and Wales provides a relevant context.
Out of 952 hospitals built, some 585 were still in existence when the records were collected at beginning of the "English" Reformation. In England The Great Hospital in Norwich and the Bedehouse in Ewelme are well documented. An important hospital was amongst the Church buildings in York. Rotha Mary Clay provides the most definitive account of English Hospitals in the late nineteenth century. Care for the poor was not institutionalized by civic authorities until the middle of the nineteenth century. The almshouse or poorhouse can be seen as a development of the medieval hospital.
Scotland
It is estimated that between 160 and 170 hospitals were built in Scotland. Based on Hall's classification comparable figures to those above can be adduced for Scotland. The nineteenth century survey in Keith et al. lists only 28 hospitals. It must be assumed that Spottiswood was selective amongst the available records.
The data provided by Hall are based on the known date of building the hospital. A comprehensive database of places of worship (churches) provides information on ruined buildings including hospitals. The earliest hospital in Scotland was probably St Leonard's in St Andrews, founded by Bishop Robert of St Andrews in 1144. This was both a hospice and traveller's inn. Another early development was a traveller's inn founded in North Berwick in about 1154. Up to 1400, as many as 60 hospitals were founded. Many of these hospitals also served as leper houses or leper colonies. Cowan & Easson together with Hall identify about twenty Leper Houses.
The best indicator of the remains or site of a Medieval hospital is the use of the phrase "spital" in place names. Across Scotland, the Ordnance Survey lists 58 places with the phrase "spital" in a place name.