The Princess Royal was in Elgin on Friday to officially open the Alexander Graham Bell centre at Moray College UHI.
Built as the first rural centre for digital health in Scotland, the centre is expected to play a central role in the development of digital health, communication and technologies.
After watching the royal visitor officially open the centre, Professor Clive Mulholland of the University of the Highlands and Islands said: “The area of digital health has the potential to expand enormously and we want Moray College to be right at the centre of that – it is an area that will just grow and grow.”
Also attending the opening was Moray’s MSP Richard Lochhead, who said: “I had the honour of cutting the first sod of turf for the Alexander Graham Bell and to see it go from that first cut to the fantastic building we see today is a big achievement.
“This is a prestigious academic building using up-to-the minute technology for the excellent conferencing, teaching and business facilities and it is great to have the Princess Royal officially opening the building.
“Partnership working has delivered the building and that partnership is already achieving a great deal in the relatively short time it has been open and has been well received by the staff and students who are using the facility.”
Angus Robertson MP said that he had also been in the building several times attending some of the variety of events already held at the centre.
He said: “Life sciences is a fast growing area of study and of business and we already have several companies who have based themselves in Moray and some incredibly innovative academic work in Moray College UHI.
“Congratulations are due to everyone who has delivered this project and that work has been properly marked by the Princess Royal when she unveiled the plaque.”