The Princess Royal toured Aberdeenshire yesterday when she visited the Royal Northern Spring Show and gave her blessing to a new £11.5million school “for future generations”.
Following a tour of the new 540-capacity school, the Princess officially opened the new facility and, after unveiling a commemorative plaque, she urged the assembled children to “enjoy the new building.”
Addressing the pupils of Midmill school and local dignitaries, she congratulated everyone involved in the project and said: “You have met the challenges and managed to build a facility fit for the next generation.
“It is a real treat for them – sadly, they may not appreciate it until much later. Those of us here who remember being at school can really appreciate what this means.”
Five year-old Midmill pupil, Rachel Mannall, presented the Princess Royal with a bouquet of spring flowers presided over by Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire, James Ingleby, and Lord Provost of Aberdeenshire, Hamish Vernal.
The latter added: “We are very proud of this, our latest school in Aberdeenshire, and we are privileged to have her Royal Highness here to open it.”
Midmill roll numbers have been boosted by the temporary relocation of Kinellar Primary school whose 400 pupils are being ferried, to and from Blackburn daily, after a fire destroyed their school last year.
Head teacher at the new Midmill school, Scott Calder, said: “There was great excitement when we first heard about the royal visit.
“I have 28 pupils at the moment; with the majority being in the infant school, it was good having the Kinellar pupils here to help us celebrate.
“Our school will grow with this year’s primary one intake and, year on year, we will expand. The capacity of the school is 540 and with the planning for new houses surrounding the school, I think we will start to fill the spaces.
“She was very talkative and down-to-earth; she asked the pupils lots of questions and remarked on how lovely the building was. I am relieved that it has all gone well.”
Aberdeenshire council co-leader, Richard Thomson, met Princess Anne and said: “We talked about the challenges of the growing population and how fortunate the children being educated here are to have a facility like this.”
The authority’s other co-leader, Alison Evison said: “It’s my first opening with royalty and so great for the children to have seen. It is such an honour for us and for the children to have this day to remember.
“I loved seeing the children’s faces, they have obviously put in a lot of preparation with their singing and poem recital – it was excellent.
“It’s really important for them to be inspired by their learning and know they have a state of the art school here. I know that it’s been noticed by royalty – I think that is a real incentive for the youngsters.
“We are also looking forward to the opening of the much-needed school at Hillside at the end of this month, which is really exciting because the whole community has been fighting for it for so long.”
