DEPUTY First Minister Nicola Sturgeon took part in an event to mark the start of preparation work for a new £48.5 million community campus in Wick.
The facility is set to replace the existing Wick High School, South Primary and Pultneytown Academy Primary School and incorporates a new library and swimming pool.
Pupils from the three participating schools also joined in the first turf cutting event alongside representatives of hub North Scotland, the driving force behind the planning, procurement and delivery of community-based projects across the north of Scotland.
The campus project, which hub North Scotland will lead after being appointed as a development partner by the Highland Council, is the latest in the region to be delivered by the organisation, having recently led the construction of the new Tain Health Centre with a similar project in Forres and the new Inverness Royal Academy all at various stages of development.
Angus Macfarlane, chief executive of hub North Scotland, said, “We are committed to delivering first class community facilities within the Highlands and this is another example of what we aim to achieve within this region.
“We want the benefits of this sort of project to be really felt across the area they are being completed in and we’ll continue to do our utmost to allow this to happen.”
Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon added, “Having seen the plans for the new school, I am heartened to see the delivery of a school that is innovative, value for money and will provide a fantastic environment for pupils to learn in for many years to come.”
