The new recruits will take Tulloch to 22 apprentices, although six of those will become fully fledged tradesmen later this year.

Apprentice joiners Reece Patience from Inverness and John Grant from Nairn are both 17, while the apprentice plumbers are Craig Given, aged 18 from Lochend, and 19-year-old Craig Birnie from Culloden. The new apprentice painters are Kai MacLeod, 19, from Charleston and Daniel Douglas, 20, from Culduthel.

Mr Fraser said: “It may not be too fashionable in the housebuilding industry to invest in apprenticeships, but we at Tulloch believe this is the right road to take.

“Our ‘grow your own’ policy in terms of workforce has proved highly successful and young people are immersed in the Tulloch award-winning way of doing things. We also have a policy of promoting our own young men to become trainee site managers and then take charge of their own sites.

“We see this approach as key to our continued growth and as a way of putting something back into the community.”

The young plumbers will be the responsibility of Highland plumbing and heating director Gordon Macallister, while the painters will be directed by David Macdonald, Highland painting and decorating director. The apprentice joiners will be trained under Hugh MacGillivray, Cameron and Paterson senior manager.

Tulloch Homes employs over 150 people in and around Inverness, while up to 500 more are with sub-contractors mainly working on Tulloch developments.