Scotland`s first wholly sustainable school could provide lessons in developing energy efficient classes for the rest of the country.
The school, located in Acharacle in Adrnamurchan, was visited by the Scottish education secretary Fiona Hyslop. The school accommodates 48 English-speaking and Gaelic-speaking medium primary school pupils, with 14 children in the nursery.
Much of the school is made from wood, while all internal materials and natural, including linoleum, clay plaster, untreated timber and vegetable-based paints. Heat generated from children, staff and computers is enough to warm the building as the school is so well insulated and draught-proofed.
Other environmental designs include a wind turbine on the hill behind the school to provide hot water, rainwater collected from the copper roofs being used to flush toilets and large triple-glazed windows being used to increase daylight.
“It is important that we have a low-carbon school estate, both for the environment and also to help authorities reduce rising fuel costs,” said Ms Hyslop. “I am in no doubt that what we are seeing here at Acharacle is the future of school construction. It is important we learn lessons from this school for the rest of Scotland.”
