IN Brief:
- Ogilvie Construction has been appointed to the Inverness High School Community Point of Delivery project.
- Works include a new sports block, 3G pitch, additional-support base, demolition, and access improvements.
- Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027 and complete in 2030.
Ogilvie Construction has been appointed to deliver a major programme of new-build, refurbishment and demolition work at Inverness High School as part of Highland Council’s long-term investment in its education estate.
The Community Point of Delivery project will provide a new sports block containing a fitness suite and community room, together with a new 3G sports pitch. A dedicated base for pupils with additional support needs will be created by refurbishing accommodation within the school’s current sports block.
The programme also includes demolition of existing modular units, a games hall and a vacant 1970s wing that the council considers no longer fit for purpose. Access into and out of the campus will be improved and external social areas upgraded.
Highland Council has scheduled construction to begin in 2027 and complete in 2030. The project is being taken forward through its Highland Investment Plan, a £2.1 billion, 20-year capital programme covering schools, roads and other infrastructure across the region.
Ogilvie was originally selected as preferred main contractor during the first wave of Highland Investment Plan appointments and is now listed by the council as the main contractor for the Inverness High School project. Early involvement allows the contractor to contribute during consultation, design and pre-planning rather than entering only after the design is fixed.
That is particularly useful on an occupied school estate. The programme combines new construction, refurbishment and demolition, so temporary routes, safeguarding, utilities and construction phasing must be developed around buildings that will continue to accommodate pupils and staff.
The existing school also brings heritage constraints. Highland Council has said the works are being planned to protect the art deco character of the listed building, requiring the project team to balance new educational and building-performance requirements against retention of the original architectural fabric.
That challenge extends beyond appearance. Interventions in listed school buildings can affect window arrangements, services routes, fabric upgrades and junctions between old and new work, requiring closer coordination than a standalone replacement building on a clear site.
The additional-support base introduces a different type of refurbishment requirement. Teaching environments for pupils requiring additional support can place particular demands on layout, acoustics, sensory conditions, accessibility and supervision, all of which must be integrated into retained accommodation.
Meanwhile, the new sports block has to function both as part of the school and as a community facility. Highland Council’s Point of Delivery concept is intended to create buildings that can support education alongside community services and partner organisations, making flexibility outside the normal school day part of the operational brief.
That creates practical implications for circulation and security. Community users need access to facilities without compromising safeguarded areas of the school, while building services and management systems must support extended operating hours across selected parts of the campus.
The 3G pitch and external works add another layer to the construction sequence. Sports facilities, demolition zones, permanent access and social spaces all compete for site area, so the order in which existing facilities are removed and replacements brought online will influence how much disruption the school experiences.
A three-year construction period also means temporary arrangements cannot be treated as short-duration inconveniences. Hoardings, temporary pedestrian routes, construction traffic and changing access points may remain part of daily school operations across several academic years.
The Highland Investment Plan’s broader programme gives the project relevance beyond Inverness. Ogilvie is one of several contractors appointed across the first phase, with the council using a common Community Point of Delivery principle across a series of new and refurbished public assets.
That does not mean the buildings themselves can be standardised completely. Inverness High School has a specific listed structure, existing campus arrangement and refurbishment requirement, while other projects in the programme have different site and community needs. The repeatable element lies more in procurement, collaboration and the intended mix of public uses than in a single building design.
The council is continuing public consultation and design development before works begin. That period gives the project team time to resolve the interfaces between retained buildings, demolition, temporary accommodation, the sports facilities and the long-term operation of the campus.
When construction starts in 2027, the most difficult part of the job may not be any single new building. Delivering several types of intervention around a functioning secondary school, while preserving listed fabric and maintaining safe access for three years, will determine whether the wider investment performs as a coherent campus project rather than a collection of separate works packages.
