The company will be responsible for the design and construction of the new 9,767 square meter school and new 3G artificial grass sports pitch, which will replace the existing Nairn Academy secondary school and accommodate 745 students.

The school will become Balfour Beatty’s second Passivhaus-certified school building in Scotland having been awarded the contract to design and build a new campus for Liberton High School in Edinburgh.

To achieve Passivhaus certification, Balfour Beatty will install high-performance windows and doors as well as mechanical ventilation with heat recovery to reduce carbon emissions, improve indoor air quality and reduce energy demand.

In addition, as part of its commitment to leaving a lasting, positive legacy in the communities in which it operates, Balfour Beatty is working with the Construction Industry Training Board and Inverness College UHI – a partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands - to create ten new apprenticeships positions for local young people.

Hector MacAulay MBE, managing director of Balfour Beatty’s regional business in Scotland, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed to deliver this latest new school, further enhancing our legacy in delivering state-of-the-art, sustainable educational facilities across Scotland.

“With works now underway, we are working closely and collaboratively with the Highland Council to successfully deliver this new school which will provide an exciting and inspirational learning environment for hundreds of students and teachers, serving both current and future generations.”

The £61m contract awarded to Balfour Beatty is funded from Phase 2 of the Scottish Government’s LEIP announced in December 2020, and capital funding for the project was approved by The Highland Council in September 2023. 

Chair of the council’s Education Committee, Cllr John Finlayson, said: “This is an exciting development for the area and for members of the community who I am sure are eagerly awaiting its completion. 

“The Highland Council is committed to improving the Education estate across Highland. Nairn Academy is a pilot project for us and is one of the first low energy complete ‘Passivhaus’ schools to be constructed in Highland.  

“Improving our school estate is a challenge, but it is one we are committed to addressing with the support of our partners to offer more quality learning environments for school communities. We look forward in anticipation to a fantastic new school building for the pupils of Nairnshire.” 

Housing & Property Committee chair, Cllr Glynis Campbell Sinclair, added: “A great amount of work has taken place already in the preparation of the new school build, and we are beginning to see results of those great efforts from those involved in the project. The community will now be able to see the new school take shape as the steelwork goes up on site. This is really exciting, and we wish the construction team the very best with the build phase and look forward to progress updates.” 

Works commenced at the start of 2025 and the campus is expected to be complete in 2026. At construction peak, the project will employ 170 people.