Tourism academy welcome

THE opening of Scotland’s first hospitality and tourism academy, which is based in the Lothians, is to be celebrated alongside Scottish Government officials at a parliamentary reception.

The academy is a partnership between Jewel & Esk College, Queen Margaret University, East Lothian Council and a number of hotel groups, including Marriott and Novotel, as well as Prestonfield and Fraser Suites Edinburgh.

Justice secretary and Lothians MSP Kenny MacAskill will provide an introduction to the event, at the Parliament tonight, while an official address will be given by Fergus Ewing, the minister for energy, enterprise and tourism.

The initiative involves students from three East Lothian secondary schools – Musselburgh Grammar School, Preston Lodge High School, in Prestonpans, and Ross High School in Tranent.

Thirty-eight pupils from the three schools will be the first to take part in the new academy, which opened just weeks ago.