A state-of-the-art indoor tennis centre has opened in Edinburgh.
The Oriam Indoor Tennis Centre has welcomed its first players onto six new courts at Heriot-Watt University.
These included Patrick Dempsey, from Currie, who won a competition giving him the honour of delivering the opening serve.
Costing £4.5 million, the impressive 4000sq/m structure took around 18 months to construct and has been funded in partnership between Oriam, Heriot-Watt University, the LTA, LTA Tennis Foundation, sportscotland and Tennis Scotland through the Transforming Scottish Indoor Tennis (TSIT) fund.
Courts are now available to book for players of all ages and abilities on a pay-as-you-play basis, meaning membership to Oriam is not required and helping ensure as many people as possible can access the sport.
Managing the centre will be Danny Curtis, pictured, who has 25 years experience of tennis coaching.
Oriam ITC is open seven-days-a-week from 6:30am to 10pm Mon-Fri and 8am-8pm Sat and 8am-10pm Sun. Courts can be booked up to 14 days in advance online, via the Oriam app or at the Oriam Reception Desk. Oriam members benefit from a 20% discount on all PAYP tennis bookings.
A full programme of tennis classes is also available with kids and adult sessions already underway.
Scott Lloyd, Chief Executive of the LTA, said: “The LTA is committed to continuing to work closely with our partners in Scotland to increase the number of indoor courts across the country “
Forbes Dunlop, Chief Executive of sportscotland, said
“The TSIT fund was established to transform indoor tennis in Scotland and provide more access to the sport. This new centre does exactly that.”
Blane Dodds, Chief Executive of Tennis Scotland, said: “We know there is a huge appetite for tennis in Scotland, with record club membership and increasing levels of participation, so we welcome the opening of the new six-court indoor centre at Oriam “
https://oriamscotland.com/oriam/activities/tennis/
Ross Campbell, Executive Director at Oriam, has spearheaded the project from its inception.
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