Work has started at the new £48.5m Wick Community Campus, with Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in attendance to break the ground on the site.

The new facility is being built to replace Wick High School, Pulteneytown Academy Primary School and South Primary School. It will also include a swimming pool and library.

The Scottish Government has awarded more than £17m towards the project. Up to 300 jobs are expected to be created during the construction phase of the scheme, with 80% of the build being delivered by Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) with a value of £40m.

Minister Sturgeon said: "I'm delighted to be in Wick to mark this important milestone for this new school campus and I am confident it will be a fantastic addition to the local community when it is completed in the summer of 2016.

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"The Scottish Government is committed to delivering good quality, well designed, sustainable schools through the Schools for the Future programme and we were pleased to award £17.2 million funding for the construction of this school.

"Having seen the plans for the new school, I am heartened to see that The Highland Council has worked in collaboration with Scottish Futures Trust to deliver a school that is innovative, value for money and will provide an excellent environment for pupils to learn in for many years to come.

"In addition to the educational benefits, this project will be a welcome boost to the local economy, creating apprenticeship opportunities for young people and construction jobs in Caithness."

Gemma Boggs, Schools Programme Director at Scottish Futures Trust (SFT), added: "Work starting on the campus will be welcome news to many local SMEs in the building industry. The project will provide a massive boost to the number of work-placements, apprenticeships and training opportunities that will be created through the delivery partner, hub North Scotland Ltd."

(JP/IT)