Dave Thompson MSP

TWO dozen pupils from Dingwall Academy will have the chance to question their local MSP when they visit Holyrood later this week.

Modern Studies teacher Heather Fulton is to take 24 Fifth Year pupils from the Higher Modern Studies and Higher History classes to Edinburgh this week to visit the Royal Museum of Scotland and the Scottish Parliament. As part of their Holyrood visit they will be met by Dave Thompson, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch (a constituency that, despite its name, includes Dingwall, the Black Isle and surrounding communities).

On Thursday afternoon, the pupils will meet Dave for a question and answer session at Holyrood during which he will give them a flavour of the work their representative at Parliament carries out on their behalf.

“These visits are a key part of educating our younger citizens about how Scotland is governed and how decisions that affect every member of our community are considered,” said Mr Thompson.

“It is always a pleasure to welcome residents of my constituency who make the effort to visit Parliament to find out more about the work we do and I am sure the Dingwall Academy pupils will find their visit illuminating.

The Holyrood visit is part of a programme the Scottish Parliament has run for several years to encourage Scotland’s young people to learn more about how their country is governed and how local areas are represented when important decisions are made.

This will be the fifth year in a row that Dingwall Academy pupils have set off to visit Holyrood (although poor weather disrupted last year’s visit).