PICTURES: Keiss pupils in a spin as they learn more about Ayre offshore wind farm
Pupils at a far north primary got a chance to learn more about the science behind turbines during a visit with a developer of a local offshore wind farm.
The Ayre Floating Offshore Wind Farm is being planned off the north-east coast of Caithness, 57km from Wick and to the east of Orkney.
Representatives of Thistle Wind Partners, which is behind the 1GW proposal, met pupils and staff from Keiss Primary during consultation events in Caithness recently.
The pupils took part in a STEM experiment where they worked as a team to set up a turbine and adjust the blades so that it generated the most electricity.
They also watched a short animation showing how, as the offshore cables reach the proposed landfall site south of Keiss, a trenchless installation solution such as Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) will be used to prevent disturbance to the beach and dunes.
Sylvie Sinclair, head teacher at Keiss, thanked the wind farm for a £750 donation to the school.
She said: “We are immensely grateful for this generous contribution, which will be used to purchase specialised resources that will enrich our pupils’ learning experience.
“As a small school, we truly value every donation that helps enhance our children’s education and well-being. Contributions like these make a meaningful difference in enriching their learning experience and creating a positive environment for their growth.”
She explained that pupils in P4-P7, alongside teachers Olivia Bremner and Gillian Munro, visited the community hall to meet 10 representatives from Thistle. During the visit, the children learned about the company’s work and participated in a fun colouring competition, she added.
The team from Thistle Wind Partners were in Caithness to hold community consultation events in Spittal and Keiss.
Allan Tait, community engagement manager, said: “We were delighted to have a visit from the pupils of Keiss primary school. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to learn more about the opportunities offshore wind can provide, as well as discovering the size and generating capacity of the proposed turbines.
“It was a pleasure to meet such an enthusiastic group of young people.”
As part of the visit some of the team were also able to visit Thurso UHI, local harbours and engineering businesses in Caithness as they continue to plan the project and assess what support is available in the county and the wider area.
The school’s cook also prepared a lunch for the representatives, which included homemade soup, a variety of sandwiches, pancakes, and shortbread. P7 pupils Rory, Paige, and James delivered the meal to the hall, and the wind farm staff “greatly appreciated this lovely gesture”.
