Covid in Scotland: 'Difficult winter' for Highlands schools
- Published
Highland Council has said it expects winter to be a "difficult time" for its schools after a number have had to close due to Covid cases.
Staff absences have meant some year groups at Inverness High School and the city's Charleston Academy having to stay at home.
Primaries forced to close completely include Lochardil in Inverness.
Schools in the Black Isle, Easter Ross and Skye have also been affected in recent days.
According to Highland Council's school closures website, more than 800 children were not at secondary school, primary or nursery on Wednesday.
John Finlayson, chairman of Highland Council's education committee, said further disruption to school life was likely.
He said "In small rural schools just one or two teachers having Covid can close the school.
"We look at each school on an individual basis. In some cases it will be year groups and then at times it will become unsustainable and perhaps the whole school will have to close.
"It's an ever changing picture we have to keep meeting the situations as they arise, and congratulate our staff in how they cope with what is a very difficult situation and it's probably going to be more difficult as winter comes on."
A Highland Council spokeswoman said: "There are a number of schools across Highland which are affected by positive Covid-19 cases or localised outbreaks.
"Unfortunately some schools are temporarily closed as staff members, identified as close contacts, are following public health advice to self-isolate and book a PCR test."
