Princess Royal opens new FirstGroup HQ

Published on Wednesday 14 July 2010 11:37

THE Princess Royal yesterday officially opened the new global headquarters of transport giant FirstGroup in Aberdeen.

The visit to the group's King Street HQ was the final stop in a day of engagements in the North east by the Princess Royal.

Earlier in the day, in her role as patron of the Northern Lighthouse Board, she visited the Bell Rock Lighthouse bicentennial exhibition at the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses at Kinnaird Head in Fraserburgh. Later, in her role as president of World Horse Welfare, she toured the charity's recovery and rehabilitation centre at Belwade Farm, near Aboyne.

Aberdeen City Council approved plans for FirstGroup's new headquarters and a new bus depot for First Aberdeen in 2007. Construction work at the site was completed last month. More than 200 people are located at the HQ and about 500 staff at the depot.

The faade of the historic 1862 listed building at the original bus depot HQ has been retained as the focal point of the new development and the building is to be used to house a museum charting the history of transport in Aberdeen.

FirstGroup chief executive Sir Moir Lockhead said: "It is a tremendous honour to have the Princess Royal officially open our headquarters and depot."