The Highland Council’s Education Culture and Sport Committee has agreed to progress plans to build new Gaelic Medium Primary Schools to serve the Greater Fort William area and Portree, Skye, by agreeing preferred locations for detailed option appraisals and an accelerated timescale for the projects.

At Fort William, the preferred site is at Blar Mor, near Lochaber High School. A site at Ardgour Road could be used if the site preparation costs at Blar Mor prove unreasonable due to peat removal.

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The Gaelic Medium primary school is one of four new primary schools being designed for Greater Fort William and it is proposed that all four projects be built under one single phased contract. The other schools will be built at Lundavra Road (Upper Achintore) and a joint campus at Caol featuring two linked buildings – one to accommodate RC pupils attending the two current RC primary schools and the other to replace Caol Primary.

The proposed timescale for Greater Fort William is completion between 2014-16. The total estimated value of the project is £29 million.

At Portree, a feasibility study is to be carried out to examine options for siting the new Gaelic Medium Primary School and/or a replacement Portree High School Residence on either the site of the Elgin Hostel or the existing school residence site.

(GK)