The largest of three hospitals under the aegis of NHS Eileanan Siar, the Health Board in the Western Isles, the Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway opened in 1992. Its predecessors, the Lewis Hospital and the County Hospital, can be seen in paintings commissioned by the League of Friends to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the National Health Service in July 1998. These now hang in the ‘new’ hospital. These two works are part of a collection by the artist Ivor Mackay that forms the bulk of the works in the Western Isles Hospital. Ivor Mackay was born in Glasgow, but his parents were from Lewis and the family returned to the island, where went to school before attending Edinburgh College of Art. Graduating in 1991, he became a full-time professional artist in 1997, and specialises in painting the rugged and beautiful landscapes and seascapes of Lewis and Harris.