Alness pupils put all their energy into win

PUPILS at an Easter Ross school jumped for joy after learning they’d scooped a prestigious award.

Alness Geoscience club, representing Alness Academy, won the Scottish Government’s Junior Saltire Prize Award 2012 for innovation in marine renewable energy.

The awards aim to promote interest and awareness in renewable energy and are part of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry’s annual Celebration of Engineering and Science.

The team was tasked with designing and building a simple wave powered generator and constructing a model wave machine to work in conjunction with it.

The team of Emma Roddick, Josie Tolliday and Cassie Armstrong, all S3, was accompanied by Rachael Macrae, Daniel Nicholson and Emilia Stewart from S2.

Alness Academy, head Ken MacIver said: "Once again we are all immensely proud of our club and the team’s achievements in another national competition. "To have won this award is a great achievement, particularly as there is such a strong emphasis on marine renewable energy for the future."