The 75 new homes, developed by Loreburn Housing Association, range from one-bedroom bungalows to five-bedroom family homes. In support of the Scottish Government’s ambition of a carbon-neutral Scotland, all properties have been fitted with solar panels and benefit from enhanced insulation standards.

Due to be fully completed in Spring 2022, the £17.1 million development will include both amenity and wheelchair accessible homes.

Lorraine Usher, chief executive, said: “Loreburn is dedicated to building homes that meet the strategic needs of the region and this development has created much needed, high quality social housing for a range of people in Dumfries.

“The Development Team have overcome significant challenges posed by Covid-19 to successfully and safely continue their work at Heathhall.

“I’m pleased that homes have become available for customers and their families just in time for Christmas. I wish the tenants every happiness for the future.”

The first 15 homes on the Heathhall development were ready for occupation in August 2021 and a further five homes were rented to new tenants on December 8.

Heathhall has been purposely designed with a mix of housing types for tenants from multiple generations and varied needs. The multi-generational approach is hoped to help re-establish community links and bring people together.

To showcase the new builds, Loreburn partnered with Barbours of Dumfries who furnished and dressed one of the four-bedroom homes.

Margaret Holmes, project development support officer, said: “It’s really difficult to imagine how a space can look when it’s empty.

“With the help of Barbours, we were able to show just how spacious the properties are. We’ve demonstrated that it’s entirely possible to transform these houses into a family home.”

Features such as downstairs bedrooms and large wet rooms make the homes ideal for those with mobility issues. Many of the properties boast a split-level staircase which has been specially designed so that a chair lift can be easily fitted at a later date, if required.

The remainder of the new homes are set to be rented in early 2022.