Inverness school Merkinch scoops top building award at Scottish Property Awards held in Glasgow.
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An Inverness school has scooped a top property award.
Merkinch Primary School and Family Centre has been named development of the year for a public building.
The building won the award at the Scottish Property Awards held in Glasgow.
The first phase of the project, comprising a new school building, opened in October 2020.
It includes 14 classrooms, ancillary teaching areas and a three-room nursery to support the delivery of 1140 hours of Early Learning and Childcare as well as nurture rooms and a games hall.
The second phase was completed in November last year and saw the refurbishment of the original school building to provide new kitchen and dining facilities for the school and accommodation for the Merkinch Family Centre.
Inverness depute provost, Councillor Bet McAllister, welcomed the recognition for the school and family centre at the awards.
She said: “It’s a thoroughly well-deserved honour that Merkinch Primary School and Family Centre have best voted best new public building in Scotland.
“It proves the decision was right to go for a new build rather than a refurbishment and head teacher Jillian Kean and her team now have a superb facility, acclaimed by parents.
“The preservation of the old school, which dates back to 1876, was important and it still serves the community.
“This is a fine example of a a thoroughly joined-up project.”
The project was funded through Highland Council’s capital programme with support from the Scottish Government’s investment programme – Scotland’s Schools for the Future – managed by Scottish Futures Trust.
The award for Merkinch was one of 18 presentations made to commercial and public property and developments at the Scottish property industry’s largest awards competition.
The independent judging panel of 20 industry experts and professionals assessed and deliberated over 60 entries in the categories this year.
Finlay MacDonald, Highland Council’s head of property and facilities management, described the school’s win as a “huge achievement.”
