Located on the Riccarton campus of Heriot-Watt University, Oriam is a large professional sports training facility which serves as a National Sports Performance Centre for Scotland, but is also open to students and the general public. Opened in 2016 at a cost of £33 million, the facility was developed as a result of the McLeish Report of 2010 which identified a lack of training facilities for Scottish football. The majority of the funding came from the Scottish Government with the remainder coming from sportscotland, Edinburgh City Council and Heriot-Watt University. The building was designed by Edinburgh-based architects Reiach & Hall and includes an indoor synthetic pitch, covered by a PVC roof supported on an arched steel frame. Intended to be the same size as the grass pitch within the National Stadium in Glasgow, this is said to represent the largest synthetic pitch in Europe. Other facilities include two sports halls, eight squash courts, a hydrotherapy pool, a rehabilitation area, fitness centre for strength and conditioning, and a classroom.
The aim of Oriam is to provide elite athletes with the facilities, access and support services needed for successful performance on the international stage. The facility is used by the Scottish Football Association, Scottish Rugby Union and Heart of Midlothian Football Club, together with national basketball, handball and netball associations.
