Plans for a new secondary school building at Charleston Academy in Inverness will be displayed at two public drop-in events as part of a multi-million-pound investment.

Pupils, parents, staff and community members can view the proposals at Charleston Academy Community Complex on Thursday 10 December 2026 and Thursday 21 January 2027. Both events will run from 2pm to 7pm and will gather feedback before a planning application is submitted.

The project forms part of Highland Council's £2.1 billion Highland Investment Plan, a 20-year programme to improve schools, roads and local infrastructure. The programme is funded through borrowing and a ring-fenced 2% allocation of Council Tax revenue.

Under the plan, new school buildings will be designed as Community Points of Delivery, or PoDs, combining education with space for community facilities, council services and partner organisations. Charleston Community Complex will be incorporated into the new building.

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The proposals include a modern secondary school, flexible offices for staff and partner agencies, a four-court sports hall, a two-court gymnasium and a dance studio. The sports facilities will be available to book outside school hours. A community café and a hub providing out-of-hours access to sport and drama facilities are also planned.

Hub North Scotland is the council's delivery partner for the investment plan, while Morgan Sindall has been identified as the preferred main contractor.

Councillor John Finlayson, chair of Highland Council's Education Committee, said: "The Charleston Academy Community PoD is a key Highland Investment Plan project, which will improve the learning environment for pupils, support health and wellbeing, and create opportunities for the wider community. It is great to reach this important milestone, and I look forward to seeing work commence on site next year."

A stakeholder group has been established to keep those involved informed and provide feedback as the project develops. Its members include council officials, elected members, local community groups, High Life Highland, the Charleston Community Complex Management Committee and school staff and parents.

Although Finlayson referred to work starting next year, the council said construction was due to begin on site in 2028, with the school and community facilities expected to open in 2030.