HRH The Earl of Wessex Visits Inverness to officially open city school and the Highland Archive and Registration Centre

HRH The Earl of Wessex KG KCVO visited Inverness today to carry out three official engagements.

Provost Jimmy Gray was at Dalcross Airport to welcome HRH to the city before the royal party made their way to Drummond School.  Excitement was high in the 79 pupil school which was purpose built to educate young people with additional support needs. 

The £14 million school which includes 14 classrooms, specialist departments for music, art, PE and Home Economics, multi-sensory and soft play rooms and a swimming pool  with a separate hydrotherapy pool, opened its doors to pupils last August.  As well as excellent indoor facilities, the school boasts attractive grounds set in a mature woodland with outdoor play and seating areas, sensory garden, a wide range of  outdoor play equipment and a tarred surface path where pupils can cycle and learn about road safety.

After meeting representatives from The Highland Council, Alpha Schools and Chair of the Parent Council, Isobel Geegan, Head teacher Linda Schubert gave HRH a guided tour of the school before the party joining pupils, staff and invited guests who were gathered in the dining hall listening to live music performed by pupils and enjoying refreshments prepared and served by the young people.

Before HRH was invited to unveil the official plaque, the Council’s Director of Education, Culture and Sport Hugh Fraser introduced him to the school’s oldest and youngest pupils, Hugh Stewart (16) and Cheyanne Allan (5).  Hugh and Cheyanne presented HRH with a gift of a framed photograph of all the pupils and staff.  HRH thanked the pupils and staff for their hospitality and wished them many enjoyable years in their school before unveiling a commemorative plaque.

The next engagement was at Inverness Royal Academy where HRH was welcomed by Deputy Lieutenant Bryan Longmore who presented Head Teacher John Considine, Barry Fisher, Director of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, Isobel Gray the Award’s Development Officer for the Inverness Area and Head Boy and Girl, David Macdoanld and Mhairi Devlin.

The Highland Council’s Duke of Edinburgh Awards Manager, Rebecca Raynes then escorted HRH to the school library to introduce him to a number of the Duke of Edinburgh Award groups from across the Inverness Area including young people from Inverness Royal Academy, Millburn Academy, Charleston Academy, the Crown Group, Inverness Girls Brigade Group and Nairn Academy.  There were also three young people from Dornoch Academy in recognition of the fact that the entire third year of the school are voluntarily taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award. 

HRH spent time chatting to the young people in each group about their experiences and looked at displays highlighting some of the activities they have taken part in.

From the school the Royal party travelled to the Highland Archive and Registration Centre where at the front entrance the Lord Lieutenant Donald Cameron of Lochiel presented Sheriff Principal, Sir Stephan Young, Council Convener Sandy Park, Council Leader Michael Foxley, Councillor Carolyn Wilson, Chief Registrar Diane Minty and Highland Council Archivist Susan Beckley.

Inside HRH was introduced to Architect Tom Duff to learn about the design of the building before going on a tour of the Archive Repository, the Conservation Workshop and the Archive Search Room.  Inverness Archivist Fiona MacLeod was able to show HRH some examples of archived photographs and documents including a plan for the Castle of Mey in Caithness.  In the Family History Centre Genealogist Alistair MacLeod demonstrated some of the methods people use to research their family history and talked about his work.

Following lunch HRH was escorted downstairs to the Ceremony Suite where invited guests were assembled.  He was introduced to representatives from the Highland Council, Morrison Construction and LDN Architects.

Council Leader Michael Foxley gave a short speech thanking everyone involved in the project including the Heritage Lottery Fund for providing a grant of £4.3m towards the overall build costs of £10.5m.

HRH then officially opened the Centre by wishing everyone well and unveiling a plaque.   Provost Jimmy Gray and the Convener Sandy Park then escorted him to the main entrance and thanked HRH for his visit.