Free Thurso meeting opens £100m school plan to questions

Parents, pupils, school staff and other Thurso residents can attend a free public meeting at Thurso High School on Thursday, 27 August 2026. The meeting starts at 7pm and is open to the public.

Hosted by The Highland Council, the meeting will give residents an opportunity to examine proposals for an education campus representing an investment of up to £100 million. Attendees will be able to learn about the plans and put questions directly to the council.

• Date: Thursday, 27 August 2026
• Time: 7pm
• Venue: Thurso High School
• Entry: Free and open to the public
• Audience: Parents, pupils, school employees and the wider community

School mergers and campus plans on the agenda

The proposals would bring Pennyland Primary School and Miller Academy Primary School together as a new primary school. The combined school would provide Early Learning and Childcare alongside Gaelic Medium Education.

A new Thurso High School would be built alongside it, creating a single education campus on the existing high school site. Mount Pleasant Primary School would remain open under the plans being considered.

The public meeting will also cover the proposed Community Point of Delivery, or PoD, surrounding the education campus. The council uses that term for a community hub in which schools, public services and partner organisations can operate from modern, integrated facilities.

Residents attending on Thursday can ask about both the school estate proposals and how they connect with those wider community plans. No final decision has been taken on the future configuration of the schools.

Where the £100 million investment would come from

The Highland Council has committed £100 million to the Thurso project through its Highland Investment Plan. That wider programme allocates £2.1 billion over 20 years to schools, roads and other local infrastructure across the region.

According to the council, the programme is financed through borrowing and a ring-fenced allocation equal to 2% of Council Tax revenue. Thurso has been identified as one of its priority projects.

Council education committee chair John Finlayson said the investment could address challenges presented by the existing school buildings and create facilities supporting pupils’ learning, wellbeing and achievement. He also stressed that pupils, parents, staff and the wider community would be heard before decisions are made.

Council leader Raymond Bremner said local residents should retain a central role as the education campus and wider PoD proposals develop.

Earlier feedback put education quality first

The current proposals follow early engagement conducted between December 2025 and January 2026. More than 500 people participated through drop-in events and an online survey, building on workshops involving community groups and project partners.

Education quality and pupils’ learning experience emerged as the leading priorities. Participants also showed strong interest in sport and leisure facilities, arts and culture, and spaces available to the community.

The feedback recorded support for keeping Thurso’s current library, fitness studio and swimming pool at their existing sites. The meeting gives residents another opportunity to address how the emerging campus plans reflect those priorities.

Comments remain open until 30 September

People who cannot attend the meeting can submit comments through The Highland Council’s online school consultations service. The consultation remains open until 30 September 2026.

The supplied event details identify Thurso High School as the venue but do not provide a street address, transport guidance or accessibility information.

Consultation responses and the view of Education Scotland will inform a report to the council’s education committee in early 2027. If members decide to proceed, a further consultation on detailed plans for the wider Thurso PoD would take place before an application for planning permission is submitted.

Source: Highland Council