Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) has announced plans to build a new £850,000 veterinary clinical teaching skills centre at its Craibstone campus on the outskirts of Aberdeen.
SRUC said the 10-room centre, which is due to open in September, will be fitted with the latest technology to support veterinary skills teaching.
It will feature dedicated spaces for veterinary students to get hands-on experience with the latest equipment, a clinical skills laboratory, animal disease diagnostics laboratories, and a mock veterinary practice including a consultation room and pharmacy.
“Our new Veterinary Clinical Skills Centre will offer one of the best experiences for students of veterinary nursing and other animal-related programmes across the country,” said Caroline Argo, Dean of SRUC’s North Faculty, which includes Craibstone.
“Rural veterinary practices are vital for farming and rural life and they face challenges when it comes to finding veterinary nurses and support teams.
“By focussing on the development of talented new professionals for rural practices, our graduates will have the skills, knowledge and opportunities for long, successful and fulfilling careers.”
Ms Argo said the new centre will be used to teach more than 100 students every year, including the first cohort of students working towards the college’s new degree in veterinary nursing at Craibstone.
It will also deliver short courses to veterinary professionals at weekends, during evenings and summer holidays.
SRUC’s investment in the new veterinary skills centre follows recent investments in new equine facilities at Craibstone and student welfare facilities at the nearby Tulloch Farm.
The £310,000 equine centre, which is due for completion in September, will include new stables for up to six horses, a manége, equipment storage and supporting facilities for students.
The £50,000 investment at Tulloch involved converting a three-bedroom farm cottage into a dedicated space for students complete with a small-group teaching area, a kitchenette, male and female locker rooms and an accessible toilet.