An official topping out ceremony has been held at a pioneering new fish feed plant on the Isle of Skye.

The facility – located at the Allt Anavig quarry at Kyleakin – is being built by Robertson Group on behalf of Marine Harvest, Scotland’s largest salmon farming company.

Robertson Central East began work on the facility for Marine Harvest in June 2017 and has made significant progress in the months since.

The new plant – which has an overall cost of £93 million – is due to complete towards the end of this year and is expected to create a total of 55 full-time jobs.

David Cairns, managing director, Robertson Central East, said: “Work has been ongoing at Marine Harvest since last summer and we’re pleased with the progress that has been made. The topping out ceremony marks an important milestone and we are moving closer to handing the facility over to Marine Harvest.

“This is an important project to Robertson Central East, worth around £25m, and emphasises our ability to deliver complex projects – not just on the mainland but also on Scotland’s islands.”

The local community has been closely involved with the project since its inception. A total of four ‘open days’ have been held, with more than 200 people attending a recent recruitment day.

Numerous employment opportunities have been created, with local labourers employed as subcontractors. While there has been a focus on generating jobs for those living on Skye, the project has also benefited from multi-national expertise with specialists brought in from Belgium, Finland, Denmark, Norway and the United States.

Mick Watts, engineering director, Marine Harvest Scotland, said: “It was pleasing to work with Robertson and incorporate them into a complex development with many international suppliers, where they succeeded in delivering their component of the construction phase.”