New indoor tennis centre opens at Heriot-Watt in 'major boost' for the sport

A new ‘world class’ indoor tennis facility has been opened at Heriot-Watt university in a ‘major boost’ for the sport in Scotland.

Scottish minister for sport Maree Todd attended a ceremony to mark the opening of the £4.5m Oriam Indoor Tennis Centre in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

The MSP helped unveil a plaque marking the arrival of the centre alongside the Principal and Vice Chancellor of the uni Prof. Richard A. Williams.

A group of around 100 children from local primary schools were also invited to a morning of tennis under the expert tutelage of Oriam’s Tennis Manager, Danny Curtis.

They were joined by representatives from partner organisations and guests involved in the project.

Work began on the Indoor Tennis Centre (ITC) in September 2022 and doors were opened to the public in December last year.

Official Plaque Unveiling, Right : Prof. Richard A. Williams , Principle and Vice Chancellor Heriot - Watt University, Left : Maree Todd, MSP, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport — Official Plaque Unveiling, Right : Prof. Richard A. Williams , Principle and Vice Chancellor Heriot – Watt University, Left : Maree Todd, MSP, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport Oriam

It has been funded in partnership between Oriam, Heriot-Watt University, the LTA, LTA Tennis Foundation, sportscotland and Tennis Scotland through the Transforming Scottish Indoor Tennis (TSIT) fund.

Giving her reaction to the ITC, Maree Todd, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport at the Scottish Government, said “I’m very pleased to mark the official opening of this world-class indoor tennis facility.

“It will have a positive impact on the local and student communities, providing more and better opportunities to play tennis all year round, in an affordable, inclusive space.

“Being active has a positive impact on health and wellbeing, and facilities such as this will help us achieve our vision of an active Scotland where everyone benefits from sport and physical activity for their physical, mental and social health.

“Through sportscotland, the Scottish Government has backed improvements in facilities with more than £235m over the last 20 years – including a significant investment in the Transforming Scottish Indoor Tennis Fund.”

The ITC’s arrival delivers a welcome boost to tennis in the area for the local community and future Scottish Tennis athletes.

The new centre is already home to the Oriam Tennis Programme and the Heriot-Watt University Tennis Club, hosting all their classes, training and competitions.

Ross Campbell, Executive Director of Oriam, said: “It is testament to the hard work and dedication of the project team here at Oriam working alongside our partners that we can now celebrate the addition of this wonderful facility to Oriam’s roster of first-class facilities.

“Since opening late last year, we have had an overwhelmingly positive reaction from the tennis community and I look forward to welcoming more players to these courts in the months and years to come.

“The arrival of the ITC is a commitment to Scotland’s sporting success and I’d encourage anyone, at any level, who is interested in tennis to get in touch to book a court or to find out more about our classes.”

There have been growing calls for Scotland to develop additional top-level tennis facilities to service the demand from players across the country. The arrival of Oriam ITC is helping cater to this need locally and encouraging participation in the sport.