North Highland College managers are contemplating reinstating an ice rink in Sutherland.
The ambitious project is being spearheaded by North Highland Curling Trust (NHC), which is keen to fill the void left by the closure of the rink in Brora several years ago.
NHC’s new campus at Dornoch’s Burghfield Hotel is one of two potential sites the trust has identified for the project.
College chiefs are considering the idea, together with plans to develop surrounding ground to provide badly needed student accommodation.
Only one member of the college’s board of management was cool about plans for the new rink discussed at its meeting yesterday.
Paul Monaghan believed the scheme did not tie in with the college’s core purpose of delivering further education.
College principal Rosemary Thompson said the proposed expansion of the Burghfield campus would give new facilities for the students.
The rink would improve leisure provision while she said the extra residencies would help meet a rising demand.
As well as accommodating students, she said they could also be used out of term time to base short residential courses. Mrs Thompson maintained the project was in line with the college’s drive to provide a collegiate environment at the Dornoch campus.
She added that funding bodies, which had supported the £3.8million redevelopment of the hotel, have indicated they would consider backing expansions of the campus.
Board member and east Sutherland Highland Councillor Jim McGillivray said: “There is a real need for new sports facilities, with the lack of facilities down to chronic under-investment by the council over the years.
“This is a very exciting project and would meet a lot of the current requirements – I think it’s a tremendous opportunity.”
Apart from curling, skating and ice hockey, the rink could be fitted with a temporary hard surface on top to allow football, among other sports.
Board chairman Bill Bruce said all it is doing at this stage is allowing the trust to carry out a feasibility study at no cost to the college.
The trust’s study is also to focus on a site at Tain.