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.

Craig Bridges, regional development director at Graham Construction, said: “Dalbeattie Learning Campus is a first-class educational facility which will bring long-lasting benefits to the local community.

“A significant construction project, our team have delivered a state-of-the-art learning space, while also creating many different jobs and apprenticeships in the process. We’re extremely pleased to handover the building to Dumfries and Galloway Council and look forward to continuing to work closely with them in the future.”

Councillor Jeff Leaver, chair of the Children, Young People and Lifelong Learning 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.”

Councillor Ros Surtees, vice-chair, said: “We want our young people to get the most from their education, which means creating environments that stimulate and encourage learning for years to come. I’m very impressed by the new campus. It looks like a brilliant place for young people to learn and develop. The site is spectacular and the facilities are first class. It is a brilliant development and once that the whole of the local community can be proud of.”