Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) has unveiled a far-reaching list of investment priorities which could see the Edinburgh and Aberdeen campuses move to new greenfield sites.
The radical proposals which if realised would cost “tens of millions” according to SRUC acting chief executive Janet Swadling are designed to show “a clear direction of travel” aimed at maintaining regional delivery of services from the organisation still known colloquially in farming circles as ‘the College’.
Speaking to The Courier, Ms Swadling was keen to point out that the well- proven ‘Scottish system’ of providing education, research and consultancy through one organisation was much prized and would continue.
The most imminent change is likely to happen in the north-east, with SRUC selling its prime Craibstone campus for residential use and moving to a brand new facility at ANM Group’s Thainstone Agricultural Centre at Inverurie.
In the longer term it is possible that the Edinburgh campus would move from King’s Buildings on the south side of the city out to land on SRUC’s Easter Bush estate near Penicuik.
The west of the country is not to be left out, with plans to move the Barony educational services eight miles to SRUC’s research and dairy complex near Dumfries. Again the facilities would be new and purpose built.
Barony was one of the three further education colleges which was subsumed within the old SAC to become SRUC.
The other two colleges Elmwood at Cupar and Oatridge in West Lothian will continue as they are, as will SRUC’s Riverside campus at Ayr.
“Now it is a case of moving on to the business planning stage to see if we can make these proposals work for us.
“We have made these announcements now to provide clarity for staff, students and other stakeholders,” Ms Swadling said.
Funding is likely to come from a combination of property sales and grants from the Funding Council.
The exit from Craibstone is perhaps the least surprising because the estate is already being brought into the Aberdeen residential area thanks to the construction of the new western peripheral route. SRUC already has a development agreement in place with Cala Homes over much of the site.
“Work has started on the line of the new road, and the loss of trees has already changed the character of the estate,” said Ms Swadling.
The move to Thainstone was welcomed by ANM group chairman John McIntosh, who said: “We believe it would provide a fantastic agri-hub focused on collaboration.”
SRUC has stressed the attractions of moving both the Aberdeen and Edinburgh campuses to more rural settings, and Ms Swadling rejected the suggestion it would deprive students of the ‘big city’ experience.
“Certainly as regards Easter Bush, there is already a big student population there including the vets,” she said.
The present SRUC campus at King’s Buildings, although it is 80% owned by SRUC, sits in the heart of an important Edinburgh University complex.
SRUC has already announced its intention to work more closely with Edinburgh University across its whole business, but Ms Swadling was keen to point out that the investment priorities revealed this week did not depend on any such alliance.
She said: “It is very important that we have our own plan, whether it is enacted independently or with the university.
“These are exciting plans. We remain wholeheartedly committed to meeting the needs of students, farmers and rural communities and businesses, and this means investing in and strengthening our activities in every region.”
SRUC chairman Lord Jamie Lindsay added: “A key priority is to ensure our research, education and consultancy divisions can work as closely as possible with each other.
“It is equally important that we work closely with external partners.”