Views sought on primary school planned for new Highland town

Plans have been unveiled for a primary school in the growing new town of Tornagrain, midway between Inverness and Nairn.

Designs have been showcased at a public exhibition.

The school will initially accommodate up to 225 primary pupils and 72 nursery children.

The planning application is expected to be submitted by the council in the next few months and will allow for expansion in future years as the size of the town increases.

Construction is expected to begin in May next year and be completed for use in January 2029.

The timescale has been a frustration for those calling for essential facilities including a school to be operational sooner.

An artist's impression of the primary school grounds — An artist’s impression of the primary school grounds Highland Council

Local Liberal Democrat councillor Trish Robertson said: “I’m a bit disappointed it’s taken so long. We’re in year ten of the build-out of Tornagrain now. It’s quite a sizeable community at this point.

“It would have been more cohesive for the community to have the school a little bit earlier. But just to get it will be a big step forward and it’s a huge milestone for community building in the area.”

Chair of Highland Council’s education committee, Cllr John Finlayson, said: “These are exciting and ambitious proposals which will place a modern school at the heart of a new and growing community.

“This project demonstrates our commitment to providing high-quality learning environments where young people can thrive. We look forward to seeing this and several other developments taking shape in all areas of Highland as part of the Highland Investment Plan.”