The Scottish First Minister has said his government “will progress with urgency” to create a new campus to replace Castlebay Community School in Barra, after meeting parents of pupils who endure freezing classrooms, water leaks, mould and crumbling plasterboard.
The project was as recently as March this year described by a Scottish Government spokesperson as a “priority for the First Minister”.
However, the hopes of any building work finally being able to begin were dashed once more as in the same month islanders learned the campus was being removed from the Scottish government’s Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) and a report to CnES, stated the project would now require a significant planning overhaul .
But the government quickly reiterated its commitment to completing the project a few days later saying: “Ministers have been clear about the commitment to deliver the new Barra and Vatersay community campus and it was confirmed last month (February 2026) that the Scottish Government will fund the majority of the capital costs.
“This project is a priority for the First Minister. Accordingly, it will now be funded directly through Scottish Government capital investment,” the government spokesperson told WLS.
“Scottish Government officials, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, NHS Western Isles and Scottish Futures Trust had a positive meeting on March 17th to discuss next steps on taking the project forward,” she added.
When WLS Editor Phil Hardy met with Mr Swinney at his visit to Macaulay College near Stornoway yesterday (12 August), the First Minister admitted that he had not had the opportunity to visit the school site to see the conditions for himself during a brief visit to Barra on (10 August), but instead his visit centred around the equally dilapidated St Brendan’s Hospital which also is earmarked for replacement as part of the vision for the campus project.
Despite not being able to visit the school, Mr Swinney said his meeting with the school’s parent council was enough to convince him that ensuring there were “effective and appropriate facilities in place” was a matter of urgency.
As of January last year, Castlebay Community School served around 250 pupils aged between 3 and 18 years. It was opened by then Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, Charles and Diana, on a royal visit to the Hebrides in 1985.
Last year, BBC journalists visited the school and found problems with all but one classroom meaning teaching staff and pupils were being forced at times to endure sitting in jackets due to cold, water coming in through the ceiling that were crumbling away, had missing tiles and wires exposed all while holding lessons. See the BBC report and pictures here.
Marion MacNeil, chairwoman of the parent council and a former pupil, told the reporters at the time: "Our school has been deteriorating all these years, which has had huge negative impacts on our pupils, our teachers and our overall community."
Alasdair Allan, the islands' SNP MSP at the time of the BBC’s visit, described the school as “not in an acceptable condition”.
The comhairle's former chief executive, Malcolm Burr had described the state of the school as “a matter of regret and sadness for the local authority and said: "The replacement of Castlebay School in its entirety is the comhairle's top capital project,” while adding that: “the school was maintained to a safe standard and it was not dangerous”.
Speaking yesterday (12 August) Mr Swinney said he acknowledged concerns about the condition of the school from the Parent Council and recommitted to ensuring it was delivered. “I heard very clearly the concern about the condition of the school and the ugency and the impetus for the development and delivery of the campus and that is exactly what the government is committed to doing, he said.
“I want to make sure the project is delivered and I deeply appreciated the briefing that I had with the team I had at the hospital and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar to understand the development of the project."
Asked whether Mr Swinney had specific timeline on the project, he said: "There is work underway and I want to progress with it as soon as possible. The parent council were very open with me about the difficulties the existing school and we need to be sure there is effective and appropriate facilities in place so I want us to progress with urgency.”
