SRUC is seeking public support to leverage funding for a £7 million Rural Veterinary Hub in Inverness.

With the sale of its Drummondhill site to Tulloch Homes, three of SRUC’s services in Inverness are set to move next month. This will also mean an end to the SRUC post-mortem facilities in Inverness, until plans for a new centre of excellence are realised.

Dean of SRUC’s North Faculty, Caroline Argo, said: “SRUC has a long history in Inverness and we’re looking forward to being part of a new centre of excellence with Highlands and Islands Enterprise. We are developing further plans for Inverness and seeking funding for an exciting new venture that will provide a real benefit to the region.

“The decision to end post-mortem examinations in Inverness was not taken lightly. Disease vigilance is vital for the whole of Scotland and we are here to support livestock vets across the region so there is a minimal effect on services.

“The move supports an approach from SRUC Veterinary Services to move away from post-mortem provision and instead work with veterinary practices to support the diagnosis, the control and the prevention of disease. Ultimately this will be to the greater benefit of the livestock producers and the animals they care for, across the whole of the Highlands.”

Head of Veterinary Epidemiology at SRUC, George Gunn, said: “SRUC has already set aside £2 million for investment and development of a new Rural Veterinary Hub at the Inverness Campus. We are actively seeking additional funding, from a variety of sources, to make this a world-class centre for animal health-related research, innovation and linked business development. Our new hub, working in partnership with many others, will offer real economic benefits and make Inverness a leading area for this important aspect of regional sustainability.”

NFUS chairman in the Highlands and Islands, Martin Birse, said: “While it’s sad to see the closure, we are practical people and we want to see the specialist vets in disease surveillance out and about, working in conjunction with our own farm vets to see their good work continue. Farming in the Highlands and Islands has its own challenges. Inverness has been a great centre but being able to take expert knowledge and expertise to areas across the region, especially to the islands, will have benefits. We’re looking forward to see future plans for a new vet facility with a post-mortem room for the Highlands and Islands.”

The SRUC Inverness Campus, a partnership project led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, has already announced that it will invest over £2.8 million in the project.

The post-mortem service at Drummondhill will end on May 3, 2019. The new Rural Veterinary Hub will include cutting-edge facilities for SRUC’s disease surveillance team to support post-mortem examinations. The hub is part of SRUC’s wider transformation plan to become Scotland’s enterprise university for the rural sector.

At the end of May, the SRUC teams based at Drummondhill will move to the An Lòchran building at Inverness Campus. To support the relocation, SRUC colleagues working in SAC Consulting at An Lòchran are moving to a new home at Alcaig Farm, near Conon Bridge.

SRUC’s five-strong Veterinary Services team, along with the team in the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, will move to Inverness Campus to work alongside the existing SRUC Epidemiology Research Unit.