Funding has been awarded to preserve and open the archive of Milestone House, Scotland’s first purpose-built AIDS hospice, ensuring its important history and the experiences of those connected to it are accessible for future generations.
For over three decades, Milestone House was a place of care, compassion and community for people living with HIV.
Opened by Waverley Care in Edinburgh in 1991, Milestone House was the UK’s first purpose-built AIDS hospice. At a time when effective HIV treatments were unavailable and stigma was widespread; it provided care and support to people living with HIV from diagnosis through to the end of life.
Thanks to advances in HIV treatment, people living with HIV can now live full and healthy lives and no longer require residential hospice care. Milestone House closed in February 2026, marking the end of an important chapter in Waverley Care’s history.
Now, funding from the Archives Revealed programe will support a partnership between Waverley Care, Lothian Health Services Archive at the University of Edinburgh and the National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive to preserve, catalogue and open the Milestone House archive.
Grant Sugden, Chief Executive, Waverley Care"We are delighted that this funding has been awarded, allowing us to preserve and share the story of Milestone House"
The collection includes photographs, publications, artwork, films and other records documenting the history of the hospice and the people connected to it. The project will make this unique material more accessible to researchers, communities and the public, while ensuring the experiences and voices of people affected by HIV and AIDS are preserved for future generations.
The project will also provide opportunities to explore and share the archive through exhibitions, events and other engagement activities, helping a new generation understand the profound human impact of HIV and AIDS in the later 20th century.
Grant Sugden, Chief Executive of Waverley Care, said:
“We are delighted that this funding has been awarded, allowing us to preserve and share the story of Milestone House. These archives capture a vital chapter in Scotland’s response to HIV and the pioneering work of Waverley Care. By preserving and opening up this collection, we hope to honour those connected to Milestone House while challenging stigma and deepening understanding for future generations.”
About Archives Revealed Programme
Archives Revealed is the only grant programme in the United Kingdom dedicated to cataloguing and unlocking archival collections. The programme is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Pilgrim Trust, the Wolfson Foundation and The National Archives. Its goal is to ensure that significant archive collections, representing the lives and perspectives of people across the UK,are made accessible for public research and enjoyment.
