HIGHLANDS-based Capstone Construction teamed up with Morris Leslie Plant Hire and Breedon to help bring construction to life for pupils at Lochardil Primary School in Inverness.
Part of the school’s careers week and organised by Capstone Construction, the event was designed to spark curiosity and potentially inspire future careers.
Pupils in Primary 2–4 took part in a session led by Capstone’s procurement manager Craig MacLellan, where they were introduced to architectural plans and taught how to use a scaled ruler. By measuring out the foundations of a full-scale house in the playground, the youngsters brought the drawings to life. They also had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a small micro digger, thanks to the support of Alasdair Bowen, general manager at Morris Leslie Plant Hire.
For the older pupils in P6–7, the focus shifted to transport and logistics with Breedon. John MacRitchie (area transport manager), Stuart Maclean (transport supervisor), and Lynne Ross (sales manager – building products) delivered a session on vehicle safety. A Breedon truck was brought into the playground, and a large mat was laid out to highlight potential blind spots. While a classmate cycled alongside the vehicle, pupils got to sit in the driver’s seat, using mirrors, four-way cameras, and side scanners to observe how technology improves driver awareness and road safety.
Craig MacLellan, Capstone’s procurement manager, said, “It was fantastic to organise this event to highlight the many different aspects of the construction industry. Seeing the pupils enjoy themselves whilst learning was hugely rewarding — and it was even more special since Lochardil is my son’s school. We’ve had excellent feedback from the school, Breedon, and Morris Leslie Plant Hire, and I can definitely see us running similar events at other schools in the future.”
Breedon sales manager Lynne Ross added, “When Craig approached us to ask if we would be interested in taking part in this event, we did not hesitate to say yes! What a fantastic day with some very engaged pupils – asking lots of questions and being very interested, asking how much the truck cost to buy, how much it costs to fill with fuel, how much the seats cost – one pupil even asked if he could take the truck for a test drive. When told no, he asked if we were sure he couldn’t! The pupils were in amazement of the size of the truck when they came close up and found it really interesting when shown the driver’s blind spots. When told the weight of the truck, both empty and fully loaded, they appreciated how dangerous being so close would be.”
