Photos show crumbling walls and mould in school

An island school identified as a high priority for improvement 15 years ago now has problems with water leaks, mould and crumbling plasterboard.

Castlebay Community School in Barra was opened by then Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, Charles and Diana, on a royal visit to the Hebrides in 1985.

In 2010, local authority Comhairle nan Eilean Siar prioritised the school for improvement before later developing a plan to replace it, but this project has been hit by delays.

Marion MacNeil, chairwoman of the parent council and a former pupil, said: "Our school has been deteriorating all these years, which has had huge negative impacts on our pupils, our teachers and our overall community."

Castlebay Community School provides education for three to 18-year-olds and has about 250 pupils.

Parents have raised concerns about the state of the buildings for a number of years.

In December 2023, they said children and staff had to wear jackets inside classrooms because the school was so cold.

BBC Naidheachdan was given access to the site last week and found plasterboard missing from a cupboard in a French classroom and cables visible in a science classroom because of missing tiles.

There were also areas of damp and mould.

All but one classroom was found to have issues.

Ms MacNeil said the community wanted construction of the new school to start as soon as possible.

The comhairle's chief executive, Malcolm Burr, said the state of the school was a matter of regret and sadness for the local authority.

He said: "The replacement of Castlebay School in its entirety is the comhairle's top capital project."

Mr Burr said the school was maintained to a safe standard and it was not dangerous.

The comhairle had proposed building a replacement school as part of the Barra and Vatersay Campus Project.

Under the plan, the campus would also have had leisure facilities, housing, a hospital and a police station.

Mr Burr said the project was presented to the Scottish government but the hospital element could not be progressed.

He said: "That effectively means you have to look at the costing of the project again.

"The new project is education and leisure facilities.

"That is what we are working very hard to develop as soon as we can - provided funding allows that."

Alasdair Allan, the islands' SNP MSP, said the school was not in an acceptable condition.

"Water is coming in through the roof - there are buckets on the floor," he said.

He said he hoped the comhairle and Scottish government could work together to secure a new school for Barra.

A Scottish government said it remained "absolutely committed" to funding the school elements of the campus project.

A spokesperson said: "Ministers understand the frustrations at the delays.

"The education secretary and health secretary will meet with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and Alasdair Allan to discuss issues relating to the project."