Princess Anne meets staff and students at new research hub on ...

Click here to sign up to our free newsletters! Princess Anne takes a look down a microscope during a tour of the new Rural and Veterinary Innovation Centre.

Innovative research aimed at addressing global challenges in human and animal health was outlined to Princess Anne when she visited a new hub in Inverness today.

The Princess Royal officially opened the £12.5 million Rural and Veterinary Innovation Centre (RAVIC) at Inverness Campus.

It has been developed by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and aims to help foster closer links between science and industry.

Princess Royal opens Rural and Veterinary Innovation Centre in Inverness

Princess Anne tours Life Sciences Innovation Centre at Inverness Campus/

The royal visitor, who arrived by helicopter, was welcomed to the centre by the sound of Pipe Major Gordon Straub playing the Queen Elizabeth March.

The new Rural and Veterinary Innovation Centre at Inverness Campus is officially opened by Princess Anne.

During a tour of the building - which has been open just a few weeks - Princess Anne was given an insight into its work as she toured teaching laboratories where she met staff as well as veterinary students and nurses.

She also met scientists in the research laboratories, where she heard about research into tick-borne diseases, peered down microscopes and was shown a sheep’s lung.

The building will integrate SRUC’s expertise in veterinary services, consultancy, research and education to offer business-tailored support to deliver the new technologies, products and services needed to address address emerging global challenges.

Academics, research groups, businesses and students will collaborate to better prepare industry, and the public, for climate change, emerging health threats such as avian influenza, antimicrobial resistance, food security and market instability.

Princess Anne is welcomed to the Rural and Veterinary Innovation Centre.

During her tour, Princess Anne met David and Barbara Girvan, of Corrimony Farm in Glenurquhart.

The couple keep cattle and sheep on the 8000 acre farm as well as running Loch Ness Pumpkins and The Wild Acre Flower Farm - from which they gathered the flowers to make the princess’s bouquet.

Barbara revealed it was not the first time they have supplied flowers to the royals.

“We were asked to provide flowers for the coronation last year and so we sent three buckets of flowers,” she said.

“But we didn’t get to hand them over in person so it was nice to do that on this occasion.”

The bouquet included the first tulips on the farm, daffodils, hellebores and mixed foliage.

Before leaving, Princess Anne unveiled a plaque and signed the visitors’ book

Professor George Gunn, RAVIC director, said their royal guest was “hugely interested” in everything and had asked difficult questions, challenging people about why they doing what they are doing.

“She was particularly keen to talk about sustainability in agriculture in the longer term and ecology,” he said.

“She was extremely well engaged and well informed.”

He said the centre’s development fitted in ideally with bringing together innovation and business along with new start-up businesses.

“It’s such a beautiful building and people want to be here,” he said.

“It is an attractive place to come.”

Princess Anne tours the £12.5 million Rural and Veterinary Innovation Centre (RAVIC) at Inverness Campus.

Professor Wayne Powell, the principal and chief executive of SRUC, outlined why he felt the new centre was special.

“It think it is the feel of the building,” he said.

“It is open. It is modern.

“I think it gives you a sense of being a part of the community both in the building and on this campus.”

Princess Anne’s visit came almost a year after she officially opened the £9.5 million Life Sciences Innovation Centre at Inverness Campus.

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