One of Aberdeen's leading independent schools has just got a £3.5m facelift and had new buildings constructed.

Infrastructure, support and construction group Robertson led on the construction side of works at 145-year-old Albyn House.

And the Duke of Gloucester officially opened the new school.

Robertson constructed a new toddler nursery, classroom block, science and technology laboratories and remodelled the school's Victorian buildings.

The project began in March 2011. Archial were the architects on the project, while local Aberdeen firms McLeod + Aitken and Wallace Whittle undertook the quantity surveying and mechanical and electrical engineering respectively.

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Dr. Ian Long, head master of Albyn School, commented: "The challenge was to add new facilities to the school and marry together contemporary design to the traditional architecture of the existing school. All this had to be achieved with as little impact as possible on the life and activities of the pupils. In achieving these ends we have we have helped to secure Albyn's future for another generation of pupils."

Keith Taylor, regional managing director of Robertson said: "The project required astute management by the project team, as it was a live site. Weekly meetings with the school management team were held to ensure construction work didn’t interfere with the pupils' school day - certain activities had to be carried out at night or at weekends to suit the school and exam timetable."

The opening ceremony was an important milestone in the history of the school, which fought back from near closure a decade ago to become one of Scotland's top-performing coeducational independent schools.

(NE)