Balfour Beatty starts construction on £61 million secondary school in the Scottish Highlands

Balfour Beatty today announces that it has commenced construction on the new Nairn Academy school, having been awarded the £61 million contract by The Highland Council at the end of 2025.

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 – a quality assurance certification for the design and construction of low energy buildings – 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.” 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.