Highland Council has taken steps towards the permanent closure of Knockbreck Primary School in Skye, proposing that the local catchment be re-assigned to Dunvegan, where a new school is to be built.
Members of the Education Committee agreed today (Wednesday 26 August) to proceed to a statutory consultation, in terms of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010, on the proposal to discontinue education provision at Knockbreck.
Knockbreck Primary has been temporarily closed since April 2024.
Six primary-aged children currently reside within the catchment area, and all attend alternative schools.
Dunvegan Primary, 11 miles away, has sufficient existing capacity to accommodate pupils from the Knockbreck catchment area, and a new school is being designed and built as part of the Highland Investment Plan.
Skye Councillor John Finlayson, chair of Highland Council’s education committee, said: “Many people will have fond memories of Knockbreck, but while closure can bring a degree of sadness to a community, we also need to reflect on the best way to meet the educational needs of local children in the present day.
“Community engagement undertaken this year found no evidence of significant demand for the re-opening of the school and indicated that former pupils had settled successfully within other schools.
“The council sees the catchment change as a positive move which will bring social and educational benefits for current and future pupils, with local children very soon to have access to modern accommodation through the planned replacement Dunvegan Primary.”
As Knockbreck Primary School has been temporarily closed since April 2024, the proposal is not expected to generate significant additional operational savings beyond those already realised through temporary closure, nor is it expected to result in significant additional transport expenditure.
The consultation will run from 2 September and will end on 30 October.
As part of the consultation a public meeting will be held during the week commencing 7 September 2026.
The report can be found here: https://www.highland.gov.uk/meetings/meeting/5390/education-committee