ROBERTSON Group has highlighted its strongest ever order book as it prepares to reveal its latest accounts - in spite of the referendum delaying decisions on "one or two" projects.

The Elgin-based construction business has amassed a total order book worth £1.67 billion for the next 20 years, lifting orders £170 million ahead of the same time last year.

The advance puts the group on track to post profits ahead of expectations and announce a positive cash position when it publishes its results for the year to March 14.

Chairman Bill Robertson flagged the group's continuing success in winning public sector work in Scotland when asked to comment on the growth, including through the East Central Hub framework.

He also highlighted a spike in activity in the Scotch whisky industry, where Robertson was recently named by Edrington as the preferred bidder for the £100 million project to build a new distillery and visitor centre for The Macallan on Speyside.

It follows a series of contracts Robertson has completed for distillers such as Chivas Brothers, Diageo and Glenmorangie in recent years.

Mr Robertson said: "We're doing a lot for distilleries at this point in time and have done for the last four, five years in particular.

"We've got a bit of work ahead of us [for distilleries].

"It has been quite dramatic over the last two or three years. If that was to continue it would be great."

Robertson highlighted the £17 million refurbishment of Glasgow Caledonian University among the range of public sector contracts it has secured in Scotland and England in the past year.

The company, which revealed its new building services and civil engineering divisions are on course to deliver profits in their first year of operation, also landed a facilities management contract for Everton Free School in Liverpool.

Beyond the public sector, housebuilding division Robertson Homes has doubled its number of development sites in the last six months.

It has also sealed contracts to deliver nearly 600 affordable homes across Dumfries, St Andrews and Inverness over the next three years.

Robertson agreed a long-term banking facility with Santander earlier this year, which it said would allow it to continue to invest further in Robertson Homes, as well as in public sector projects.

Noting the benefits of being a "medium-sized player in a big infrastructure market" Mr Robertson said: "There is quite a lot for us to grow from. The growth is really coming from the development of our own internal business and be able to address more infrastructure opportunities across the country.

"We have now got four operational units operating, so that in itself is generating more work. We have got a new construction company in England, a civil engineering business which is now active, and building services.

"We've also got a major regeneration company, which is a partnership with another company, and that is active in both Edinburgh and Glasgow."

The surge in orders builds on the growth achieved by Robertson during the recession, with headcount having risen by 40 per cent to nearly 1300 in the period since.

Mr Robertson said this has largely been down to the steady flow of work through the Hub framework, which will yield the £300 million worth of contracts over the next three to four years.

Mr Robertson noted the firm, which has 20 apprentices and 70 modern apprentices on its books, is currently "well resourced" in terms of staffing requirements.

But he conceded the group may run into challenges finding enough skilled staff when the economic recovery begins to pick up pace.

Asked whether the uncertainty caused by the independence referendum had presented any challenges to the group, he said: "Not really.

"We have had one or two projects where decisions have been delayed pending the result of the referendum.

"Apart from that, it hasn't affected us because we have managed to keep the growth anyway."

He declined to indicate a preference over how he would like the vote to go, but noted: "It's ironic that the referendum is happening when the country is just emerging from a really serious recession.

"But whatever the outcome, there will be a period of uncertainty.

"It would have been good to have a period of stability before going into further change, whatever the change is."