A striking new events dome has opened in Tain as part of a £1.8 million social enterprise project designed to create jobs, training and reasons for young people to build their futures in the Highlands.

The nine metre spherical venue is the latest addition to the Gro For You Community Innovation Campus, where income from events and hospitality will be reinvested into apprenticeships and opportunities for young people across Easter Ross.

The five acre campus had a soft opening in May, but the completed development has now been officially opened by Lord Lieutenant of Ross and Cromarty Joanie Whiteford.

At its heart is the new Culture and Events Dome, which Gro For You hopes will attract performers, cultural events, conferences and private functions from across Scotland to Tain.

The ambition goes considerably further than creating another Highland events venue.

Money generated through events and hospitality will be reinvested locally, creating a model where every successful event can help fund training, qualifications and employment opportunities for another generation.

Gro For You founder and Chief Executive Sarah Mackenzie said:

“Ultimately, we want it to create a circle of impact, bringing performers and events here from all over Scotland while creating opportunities for local artists, suppliers, businesses and young people.

“Events and hospitality income will be reinvested into creating further opportunities for our community.

“So, when somebody chooses to hold an event here, they are leaving something behind long after the guests have gone home.

“That is what makes the Dome particularly special, it isn’t just about creating memorable events.

“It is about using those events to help create lasting impacts.”

There are already signs of what the wider campus could contribute to the local economy.

Since its soft opening in May, the North Coast 500 attraction has welcomed around 200 customers a day to its cafe, children’s play areas and training spaces, while creating 27 local jobs.

For You Training, the community interest company behind the initiative, certified 980 students last year and recorded 90% pupil attainment in Foundation Apprenticeships and Wider Achievement awards.

The next stage will see the organisation work with Highland employers and partners across the private, public and third sectors through its new Gro Futures initiative.

The longer term ambition is to establish a Community Centre of Excellence for Future Skills, allowing employers to help shape training around the skills and workers the Highland economy actually needs.

Co Founder Richard Jones said:

“We want to create a Centre for Excellence for Future Skills under our Gro Futures model where local employers can work with us to design the workforce they need.

“We want to be able to respond to the changing requirements of the local economy and build the workforce that will support the Highlands for generations to come.”

That ambition tackles one of the Highlands’ most persistent challenges, with young people too often having to leave their communities to find training, careers and opportunities elsewhere.

A spherical events venue overlooking the Dornoch Firth may be the most immediately eye catching part of the £1.8 million development, but its real success will be measured by what remains in Easter Ross long after the lights go down.