GLASGOW'S newest college campus has opened for classes - bringing a £162million new facility to city students.

City of Glasgow College's City campus will also benefit non-students with a fine dining restaurant and food shops open to the public.

The 619,000 square foot City campus has changed the city centre skyline and bosses claim it will change how people learn.

City of Glasgow College Principal and Chief Executive, Paul Little, said: "Of the 800 or so learning spaces only one is a lecture theatre, such is the changing nature of Higher and Further education and one we are embracing.

“Our next generation super campus plays a crucial part in delivering City of Glasgow College’s educational vision and inspiring ambition to shape a new era of tertiary education.

"Scotland now has a world class technical and professional education College to sit alongside its world class universities.”

The first cohort of students entered the new building, which sits on land the equivalent of three George Squares, yesterday.

Mr Little said some six million students are expected to study there over the lifetime of the college

City campus together with Riverside campus is expected to accommodate up to 40,000 students and 1200 staff a year.

The new building contains more than 500 learning spaces, industry standard TV and radio studios and a fully equipped aircraft cabin.

It has 16 professional cookery kitchens, creative design and photography studio as well as Sport Scotland standard sports halls.

Scholars fine dining restaurant is open to the public and the building's City Market - a butchers, bakers and fishmongers - will see students serve the public from shop fronts that open on to the street.

There is also a commercial hair salon, beauty salon and nail bar.

City campus has more than 300 cycle racks for students to commute by bike and has two roof gardens and terraces that look out over the city.

Future phases of the super campus development comprise the completion of demolitions, external spaces, landscaping and parking facilities, with overall completion due for autumn 2017.

Mr Little added: “These students are the first to study in this outstanding new building and are the forerunners for its new technology and open, cohesive learning spaces.

“Our new City campus is a truly outstanding building which will transform our student experience with its vast open and inspiring, learning and teaching environment.

“Along with our Riverside maritime campus – our super college - represents a multi-million pound investment and is also the single largest college development in the UK.

"It has been meticulously designed to offer superb opportunities to our students and to meet and adapt to the changing needs of the six million people we expect to attend this College over its lifetime."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon officially opened the first phase of the City of Glasgow College building works in October last year.

City of Glasgow College is a merger of Central College, Glasgow Metropolitan College and Glasgow College of Nautical Studies.

The £6m marine skills centre has its own jetty, rescue lifeboats and free fall lifeboat.

Some 3000 marine and engineering students and 250 staff use the building's 120 learning spaces, which include a state-of-the-art chart room.

It is one of only four in the UK recognised to deliver Merchant Navy officer training to Chief Engineer and Master Mariner level.

And it has Scotland's first women-only engineering and construction classes

The 40,000 students at City of Glasgow compare to Strathclyde University's 20,000, Glasgow's 25,000 or Glasgow Caledonian's 17,000, making it the largest college in Europe.