Hand over of Dingwall and Portree Schools

The tiled floors have been laid, the classroom furniture is in place and the finishing touches applied to The Highland Council’s new replacement secondary schools in Dingwall and Portree.

After two year’s of construction work, Morrison Construction, part of Galliford Try group, has handed the keys over to the new Dingwall Academy and Portree High School following an independent inspection and both are now ready for the Council to fully prepare to welcome pupils and the community.

The £28 million, 15,000 sqm Dingwall Academy will accommodate approximately 1,100 pupils while the £28 million, 13,000 sqm Portree High School will be home to 700 pupils.  In addition to a range of classrooms both schools will also provide community facilities when they officially open – a public library, enhanced school hall with specialist seating to create a venue for performance and sports facilities which include a swimming pool and climbing wall for the residents of the Isle of Skye to enjoy.

The Highland Council’s Chairman of Education, Culture and Sport, Councillor Bill Fernie said: “The building of two new secondary schools represents a significant investment and demonstrates our commitment to sustaining our Highland communities and investing in education for future generations.  Pupils at Dingwall and Portree can now look forward to starting the next school term in two magnificent new schools which are well built and finished to an extremely high quality.  Both schools will not only benefit staff and pupils, but the wider community will be able to enjoy more educational, sporting, leisure and cultural opportunities.”

Derek Chambers, Morrison Construction’s Project Director for the Highland Schools project, said: “We understood the importance to The Highland Council, the pupils and staff of Dingwall and Portree and the community to have these vital facilities operational.

“There is a real excitement in the air with everyone looking forward to moving into the new modern, airy and spacious buildings, boasting quality finishes, excellent purpose-built facilities and a learning environment that is second to none.”

Sports Scotland has contributed funding to the swimming pool in Portree and the Scottish Arts Council to the venue in Dingwall Academy.  Now building work is completed, the Highland Council will be setting up ICT systems and moving in all materials and equipment.

Headteacher at Portree High School, Catherine MacDonald, said: “This is a very exciting day for Skye.  The new Portree High School is a community facility for all our residents with its library, swimming pool, venue and sports facilities.  Its classrooms are equipped with the latest technology and are spacious and bright.  We look forward to providing the best learning and teaching possible in our new school and to continuing our vision of helping Portree High School pupils to be the best they can be.”

Graham Mackenzie, the Rector of Dingwall Academy said: ‘This is a most exciting time for everyone connected with Dingwall Academy.  Although there will be a degree of sadness on leaving our old building, all pupils and staff are very much looking forward to having their first glimpse of the newly completed facility.  We all very much look forward to continuing to provide a positive and rewarding educational experience for future generations in Dingwall Academy, in a 21st Century environment.  At this stage I would very much like to pay tribute to all of our contacts within Alpha Schools and Morrisons who have worked so hard to keep us informed and involved over the past two years.  This is particularly true of the Project Manager, Mr Lonie Mackintosh.’

Dingwall Academy and Portree High School projects are the sixth and seventh of the eleven new schools to be completed under the authority’s second PPP scheme and the first secondary schools to be handed over.  Phase two of the site works, the demolition of the existing school buildings and construction of the playing fields, will start straight away and both will complete next January.
Projects still under construction include Drummond School, Kinlochleven High and Primary (all on schedule to handover in June) and Millburn Academy (handing over in September).