In a fortnight the Highland Hospice in Inverness will reopen its doors to patients having been relocated to the County Community Hospital in Invergordon for over a year. During that time staff have been bussed the 25 miles to the Easter Ross town as the charity demolished its former inpatient unit beside the River Ness, and replaced it with a new facility costing £7.5m.

At over 25 years old, the previous unit had only four single rooms and two three-bedded rooms all smaller than guidelines recommend. Spaces for family and staff were also restricted. Now it boasts nine single en-suite rooms and one three-bedded room.

All the new single rooms are large enough for a family member to stay overnight, and the facility provides additional family accommodation for friends and relations. There are dedicated bereavement support rooms, as well as "a unique Sanctuary for patients, relatives, staff and volunteers to take respite from the challenges they face."

There is a bigger physiotherapy suite and an enlarged art and craft room with its own potter's wheel and kiln. There is space for new IT infrastructure to support the growth of a 'Virtual Hospice' allowing greater access to hospice services in remote and rural communities.

The total project cost is £7.5m, including ensuring the continuity of service at Invergordon. The charity was able to take £3m from reserves at the start, with a Project Build Appeal to raise the balance. On Saturday night a talent show "Ness Factor" in a local hotel alone raised £75,000. It means that just short of £4.4m has been collected and the charity expects small donations will continue to come over the next few months.

The extraordinary success of the appeal underlines the strong relationship between the hospice and the community it serves. It is one of the best supported charities in the Highlands. Indeed it has been said others find it hard to compete.

Anyone who has experienced the warmth, commitment and sheer professionalism of hospice staff as they care for loved ones at the darkest of times, will understand this all too well.

It is the only hospice serving adults with "incurable life limiting disease" in the Highlands and is acknowledged as a resource of specialist palliative care expertise in the region. In recognition of this it receives around one third of its funding from the NHS.

But it is a charity and makes no charge to patients or their families, relying on the support of the public for the all rest of its income. Each £25 donated will fund one hour of nursing care.

It has shops in Dornoch, Aviemore, Forres, Nairn, Grantown, Inverness, Tain, Alness, Fort William, Portree, Wick , Thurso, Dingwall (whose profits are shared with another charity) and a warehouse in Inverness. The hospice teashop well used by the public as well as those visiting the unit.

Regardless of whether they have entered its doors, the people and businesses of the Highlands hold their hospice closely and take responsibility for it.