The hatchery, at Barcaldine, will increase capacity and deliver significant sustainability benefits to the company, supporting salmon farms on the west coast of Scotland, Orkney and Shetland.

Robertson Northern has now started construction on the £13m freshwater Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) for the aquaculture firm, which will rear young Scottish salmon to help meet growing global demand.

When completed, the overall hatchery will raise the company’s smolt production from five million to up to 11 million annually, creating 25 new jobs for the area.

Jim Gallagher from Scottish Sea Farms said: “This is a significant investment in our freshwater capacity and is a vital component to helping us meet the world’s increasing demand for premium Scottish salmon.

“Robertson Northern have demonstrated that they have the right skills to help deliver what is a landmark development for Scottish Sea Farms and for Scottish aquaculture.”

Frank Reid, managing director of Robertson Northern, said: “This is a revolutionary development in every sense of the word and an exciting development for both Scottish Sea Farms and the local economy.

“As well as creating jobs when complete, we will be using the skilled local workforce whenever we can throughout the development of this facility.”

The first fish reared in the facility are expected to be transferred to Marine farms in 2019.

Scottish Sea Farms said the investment was part of plans to invest a total of £70m in improving and maintaining its existing sites and acquiring new ones over the next few years.