Grammar Schools in Scotland
In Scotland’s educational system, the term grammar school is basically a synonym for high school. Many secondary schools that have ‘grammar’ in their name, however, are among the oldest and most respected schools in the country. Examples include:
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Aberdeen Grammar School, Aberdeen. Also referred to simply as the Grammar, the Aberdeen Grammar School is the oldest school in Aberdeen and one of the oldest grammar schools in the entire UK. It was established in circa 1257 (although the first written records date from 1418) and recently celebrated its 750th anniversary. Co-educational since the early 1970s, the school is also one of the highest ranking secondary (state-funded) schools in both Aberdeen and Scotland. It has been located at its present-day site since the 1860s.
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Lanark Grammar School, Lanark. In 1983, the Lanark Grammar celebrated its 800th anniversary. Founded in 1183, the school is one of the oldest schools in Britain and has an impressive list of notable former pupils: William Smellie (1697-1763), Robert McQueen, Lord Braxfield (1722-1799), General William Roy (1726-1790) and John Glaister (1856-1932), to mention only a few.
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Hamilton Grammar School, Hamilton. This secondary school traces its origins back to 1452. It was created anew in the first half of the 1970s when many selective schools were closed or/and replaced by comprehensive schools. It is housed in a building that dates from 1913 which, however, was extended and extensively renovated in the mid-1990s.
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Hutchesons’ Grammar School, Glasgow. Founded in 1641 by brothers George and Thomas Hutcheson, the school was built to provide education to orphans (boys-only). For much of its history, it operated as grammar school for boys; girls’ school was formed in 1876. Exactly one hundred years later, the boys’ and girls’ schools merged into today’s Hutchesons’ Grammar School.
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Paisley Grammar School, Paisley. One of the oldest and most respected schools in Scotland was founded by King James VI and I (1567-1625) in 1576 but opened only in 1586 when the newly constructed school building was completed. The original building is long gone but a memorial stone featuring inscription The Gramar Scuil 1586 survived to this day.
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Musselburgh Grammar School, Musselburgh. The principal secondary school in Musselburgh was founded in 1626 but is housed in a building that dates from the 1830s. The Musselburgh Grammar School has a long list of notable former pupils: Alex Hay, Susan Deacon, Rhona Cameron, David Miller, Kevin Smith, Colin Nish and Billy Brown, to mention only a few.