Dalbeattie Learning Campus has officially been handed over to Dumfries and Galloway Council after completion.

.The £24m state-of-the-art campus will replace the town’s primary and secondary schools and Council nursery schools, which have operated in a number of buildings on separate sites.

Dalbeattie Learning Campus was designed to enable much greater use by the Dalbeattie community.

Work started on site in March 2016, with an 18 month build programme and the building is now ready on schedule.

The old High School building, next to the new campus, will soon be demolished and the site landscaped before being incorporated into the campus site.

This is a very exciting time as the keys were finally handed over to the Council today following years of consultation, engagement and construction.  The new campus will open its doors to pupils next week who will be excited to be stepping into their new school for the first time.

Councillor Jeff Leaver, chair of the Children, Young People and Lifelong Learning [CYPLL] committee, said: “Building the local economy and providing the best possible start in life for all our children are top priorities for our Council and we are making massive investments in schools throughout our region. Dalbeattie Learning Campus will deliver first class facilities and transform education in Dalbeattie, delivering learning facilities appropriate for the 21st century. We were all very impressed by the new campus.

“The whole building is so spacious, bright and welcoming and a huge amount of thought, including a very large input from the pupils who will soon be moving into their new school, has gone into the design of all aspects of the building. The setting is spectacular and the sports facilities and opportunities for outdoor learning are absolutely first class. I’m very envious of the young people and the staff who will be moving into this amazing facility next week.”