TALENTED young STEM specialists from a local primary school were encouraged to have fun with science, technology, engineering, and maths during a series of workshops at Dumfries House.

Pupils from Troon Primary School participated in the workshops Everyday Engineering and Engin-Air in The Morphy Richards Engineering Centre on the estate near Cumnock.

Such education initiatives at Dumfries House form a key element of the vision of His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, who used £20million of his charitable foundation’s money in 2007 to secure the future of the House and estate and use it to help people engage in learning experiences that promote confidence and personal development as well as offer training in real-life skills to open up future employment opportunities.

Helen Matthews, P6 class teacher at Troon Primary School, said: “Our P6 pupils have been doing an engineering project and made an internal combustion engine in class. We coincided the visit with our Outdoor Learning Day, which takes place each term, and the pupils have benefitted from hearing different voices to those they hear at school and learning from Dumfries House tutors with varied skillsets.

“I had been to Dumfries House previously with a P4 class and enjoyed Farm To Fork activities in the walled garden. For teaching, the quality of resources here is brilliant.”

Jo Dempster, STEM tutor at Dumfries House, said: “It was a pleasure to host pupils from Troon Primary School at our engineering workshops. We are really encouraged by the way school staff and pupils are embracing science, technology, engineering, and maths, and we hope everyone left the event inspired to go further in these subject areas and to return to Dumfries House for similar future activities and school residential trips.”

School visits to Dumfries House can be arranged by emailing EducationAdmin@dumfries-house.org.uk.