Blairs College
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| Established | 1829 |
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| Location | Aberdeen, Scotland |
| Type | Catholic church |
| Website | https://www.blairsmuseum.com/College/history-college.htm |
St Mary's College, Blairs (commonly known as Blairs College), situated near Aberdeen in Scotland, was from 1829 to 1986 a junior seminary for boys and young men studying for the Roman Catholic priesthood.[1] Part of the former college now houses Blairs Museum, the museum of Scotland's Catholic heritage.[2] The New Chapel is a Category A listed building, with the other buildings listed as Category B.[3]
History[]
Lying on the south bank of the River Dee, between Kirkton of Maryculter and Aberdeen, the land on which the seminary was built was originally owned by the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem, before passing to the Menzies family in 1542. In 1827 the land was donated by John Menzies of Pitfodfels (1756-1843) to the Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, and the original building, Menzies House, converted into a seminary for 25 pupils. In 1829 Lismore Seminary and Aquhorthies College were merged, then closed and the students moved to Blairs College.
A major expansion was executed from 1897 to 1902 with a new chapel by Robert Curran of Warrington and new lectures rooms and accommodation by Robert Gordon Wilson of Aberdeen. The new buildings were formally opened by Bishop Chisholm on 23 September 1903.[4]
The college's book collection is housed in Aberdeen University Library,[5] and the archives at the Scottish Catholic Archives.
The college closed in 1986, but the chapel continues to be used as a place of worship. There is a Sunday Mass in the chapel every week at 9:30am.[6]
The college now homes Blairs Museum, a museum of Catholic History with significant collections of art relating to Mary Queen of Scots, the Jacobites and the history of Catholicism in Scotland. The museum is open at weekends from April to September or by appointment.
Notable former pupils[]
- Robert Fraser (bishop) (1858-1914) Roman Catholic Bishop of Dunkeld
- Prof R. F. Lamont BSc MBChB MD FRCOG, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology,
- C. J. Ryan, priest and scholar of Italian studies
- Sylvester McCoy, actor
Notable Staff[]
- Edward Douglas, Bishop of Motherwell[7]
- Peter Moran, Bishop of Aberdeen
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Regeneration and Renewal of Blairs College" (PDF). The Muir Group. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
- ^ "Blairs College". Blairs Museum. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
- ^ Aberdeen from British Listed Buildings, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ^ Building News 31 March 1899
- ^ Michael Turnbull, Why dispersing archives will rip the heart out of Scottish Catholic history from Herald Scotland, 3 July 2012, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ^ Parishes from Diocese of Aberdeen, retrieved 15 June 2016
- ^ "Right Rev. Edward Douglas", Diocese of Motherwell
External links[]
- Blairs Museum The Museum of Scotland's Catholic Heritage
- Blairs College Official website of the 'Friends of Blairs'
- Buildings at Risk Register entry
- Urban Exploration of Blairs
- Another Urban Exploration of Blairs
- A third Urban Exploration of Blairs
- Article about new development
- Site entry at National Record of the Historic Environment
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Coordinates: 57°05′53″N 2°11′41″W / 57.098028°N 2.194735°W
- Kincardine and Mearns
- Religious organizations established in 1829
- Educational institutions established in 1829
- 19th century in Scotland
- Category A listed buildings in Aberdeenshire
- Category B listed buildings in Aberdeenshire
- Listed churches in Scotland
- Churches in Aberdeenshire
- Former churches in Scotland
- Defunct universities and colleges in Scotland
- Catholic seminaries in Scotland
- 1829 establishments in Scotland
- Religious museums in Scotland