Veteran Housing Scotland (VHS) has completed its research and published its history, ‘Veterans Housing Scotland – Celebrating 110 Years . This has been funded by a Jean Guild Grant from the Old Edinburgh Club (OEC). This is the first project under the 2025 grant programme to have been completed.
In 2025, VHS celebrated its 110th anniversary with plenty to show for more than 100 years of innovative, affordable provision of homes and wellbeing support for disabled veterans of our armed forces at risk of homelessness. Funded by this award, the 24-page booklet details the background to the need for the organisation in the early days through to today. VHS has become established as the leading charity providing homes for disabled veterans in Scotland. VHS Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, generously provided the introduction for the booklet and took the opportunity to thank all those involved in the work of the charity.
In 1915, at a very early stage of the War, the Scottish Veterans Garden City Association was created to respond to the growing number of injured servicemen returning from the battlefields of Europe. Many faced not just physical and psychological disabilities, but also economic hardship and a lack of suitable housing. This association evolved into Veterans Housing Scotland.
Kevin Gray, Chief Executive of VHS, remarked: ‘This booklet has created a very special opportunity for us to continue to share our story. The development of this publication has undoubtedly thrown up some wonderful insights for us all. We are thrilled that the Old Edinburgh Club selected VHS to receive one of these prestigious awards. We are grateful for their support. We thoroughly enjoyed working with them on the project.’
The Scottish Veterans Garden City Association famously was created by Lord Salvesen and a group of his colleagues, starting with homes such as those in Salvesen Gardens at Silverknowes. Now, VHS has a portfolio of 635 homes across Scotland and has provided homes for more than 12,000 veterans and their families since its inception.
Steven Robb, President of the Club, adds, ‘This was a great project for the Old Edinburgh Club to be involved with. We were delighted to award our Jean Guild Grant to Veterans Housing Scotland, helping to enable the research and publication of this new booklet. We are especially pleased that a free PDF version of the booklet is now available on our website to download. The provision of affordable homes for injured veterans, from 1915, is a key part of Edinburgh’s history, and continues to be an important issue to this day.”
VHS History launch at the City Chambers, Edinburgh
The booklet was launched at a reception to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the founding of what was to become VHS. This was hosted by the Lord Provost in the City Chambers, Edinburgh, in November 2025. OEC project lead Richard Rodger and Derrick Johnstone, Secretary, represented the Club at this event.
A PDF version of the booklet is now available for download.
