Dollar Academy

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Dollar Academy
Dollar Academy Crest.svg
Address
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Academy Place

Dollar
,
Clackmannanshire
,
FK14 7DU

Scotland
Information
TypeIndependent day and boarding school
MottoJuventutis Veho Fortunas
(Latin: "I carry the fortunes of youth")
Established1818; 203 years ago (1818)
FounderCaptain John McNabb
Chairman of GovernorsProfessor James McEwen
RectorIan Munro
GenderCoeducational
Age5 to 18
Enrolmentc. 1200
Houses
  Atholl
  Mar
  Stewart
  Argyll
Colour(s)    Navy Blue & White
PublicationFortunas (biannual publication)
School newspaperThe Galley Student Newspaper
Former pupilsOld Academicals
Websitehttp://www.dollaracademy.org.uk

Dollar Academy, founded in 1818 by John McNabb,[1] is an independent co-educational day and boarding school in Scotland. The open campus occupies a 70-acre (28 ha) site in the centre of the town of Dollar in the county of Clackmannanshire, at the foot of the Ochil Hills.

Overview[]

As of 2020, there are over 1200 pupils at Dollar Academy,[2] making it the sixth largest independent school in Scotland. On a single campus, it is divided into three separate schools: the Prep School (Prep 1 to 5 for ages 5–10), the Junior School (Junior 1 and 2 for ages 10–12) and the Senior School (Forms I to VI for ages 12–18).

Around 90 of the pupils are boarders;[3] the rest are day pupils, either from the village of Dollar itself or from the surrounding counties of Clackmannanshire, Stirlingshire, Perth and Kinross and Fife. Almost 50% of the boarding pupils are from overseas, with the rest being British nationals.[4] The overall share of international students is relatively low at about 20% of all students.[5]

Dollar Academy has over 100 sports and recreational activities on offer to pupils after the school day and over the weekend.[citation needed]

Academic[]

Dollar Academy follows the Scottish education system, with pupils sitting National 5 examinations at the end of Form IV and Highers at the end of Form V and Form VI. Most courses in Form VI are at Advanced Higher level and a number of pupils study the . All standard subjects are on offer at Dollar Academy. The school also teaches Classical Studies, Latin, and Mandarin. IT training is provided to all, and Music, Art, and Drama are compulsory for Forms I and II.[citation needed]

History[]

The memorial to John McNabb, Dollar Academy
The Revd Dr Andrew Mylne, First Rector of the Academy

Dollar was founded in 1818 following a bequest by Captain John McNab or McNabb. He captained, owned and leased out many ships over the decades and it is known that at least four voyages transported black slaves to the West Indies in 1789–91,[6] forty years before the Slavery Abolition Act 1833. In 2019, in order to understand the exact extent of John McNabb’s involvement in the slave trade, research into this was commissioned, in collaboration with external advisors. The school also teaches about McNabb's links to the slave trade in several subjects.[7] McNabb bequeathed part of his fortune – £65,000, equivalent to £5,846,334 in 2019 – to provide "a charity or school for the poor of the parish of Dollar where I was born".[8]

McNabb died in 1802 but it took another sixteen years before the school opened it doors after much debate about how to use the bequest. The lands were granted by the local laird, Craufurd Tait of Harviestoun (d.1832).

It was in 1815 that the Rev Dr Andrew Mylne DD (1776-1856), minister of Dollar, along with fellow trustees conceived of an academy to educate the boys and girls of the parish, and also pupils from outside Dollar, who would board with teachers. Full fees would be charged to 'non-residenters', while parish pupils would pay fees on a sliding scale, with some receiving free education. To attract pupils from outside the parish, excellent teachers would be appointed.[citation needed]

Architecture[]

Main (west) facade of Dollar Academy
The library before the fire of 1961

In 1818, Rev. Mylne was appointed Rector of the new Academy and Scottish architect William Playfair was commissioned to design the building. Playfair also designed houses for teachers and boarders. As a result of the school’s growing size more accommodation was needed. Therefore, several classrooms and a large school hall were added in 1868, a gymnasium in 1893, and the Prep School was built in 1937.[citation needed]

The interior of the Playfair Building was gutted by a fire in 1961, but Playfair's Greek-style outer facades remained intact. The interior was rebuilt on a plan based on central corridors with equal sized classrooms on both sides. An extra (second) floor was concealed, increasing the total available space.[9] The school was re-opened in 1966 by former pupil Lord Heyworth, and the assembly hall was rebuilt after the fire. The school library is a "whispering gallery" because of its domed ceiling.

Many other buildings have been added to the school over time- such as the Dewar Building for science and the Maguire Building for art and physical education. And in 2016 the Westwater Building was added, named after Private George Philip Westwater, an FP killed in the First World War at Gallipoli. This building contains the Modern Languages department and two Economics classrooms.[10]

Boarding Houses[]

The library dome, Dollar Academy
Morning Assembly

The original boarding accommodation was built at the same time as the original Playfair Building. These houses were situated in Academy Place to accommodate teachers and boarders. The existing boarding houses are all refurbished period buildings.

There are spaces for 90 boarders in the Academy's three boarding houses. Both weekly boarders (Monday – Friday) and full boarders are accepted.

  • Argyll House – girls aged 10–18
  • Heyworth House – girls aged 10–18
  • McNabb–Tait House – boys aged 10–18

Though the majority of pupils do not board, every pupil belongs to a House. Originally there were five boys' houses, instituted in 1911, hence the term quint. The Quint Cup and House Cup are awarded annually at Prize-Giving. Today there are four quints:

Quints[]

  • Atholl (Red)
  • Mar (Yellow)
  • Stewart (Blue)
  • Argyll (Green)

Former Pupils' children are traditionally put into the same house as their family members. The names of quints and houses were merged in 2009; previously, male quints followed the names: Castle (Atholl), Devon (Mar), Glen (Stewart), and Hill (Argyll). The fifth male quint was McNabb (purple) but this was dropped in 1937.[citation needed]

Traditions[]

The Maguire Building

Each year full colours and half colours are awarded to senior pupils for achievement in sporting or cultural pursuits. These awards merit piping on the school blazer (blue for cultural, white for sporting) and/or a distinctive blazer badge. Internationalists' Award ties are presented to pupils, prep, junior and senior, who has represented their country in sporting or cultural activities.[11] Sixth Form pupils are also given a distinctive silver tie, and prefects wear white and blue bands round the blazer sleeves.

The senior six (or top six) are the most senior prefects in the school, elected by a ballot of Forms IV, V and VI. Those with the highest numbers of votes are selected for the "College of Cardinals", who vote among themselves to elect a Head Boy, Head Girl and two deputies for each.

Two school songs were composed in 1912, but neither was officially adopted. "Here in a Fair Green Valley…" by the poet W. K. Holmes and music by Marc Anthony became the official school song sung at prize-giving each year between 1929–1993. This was then replaced by the Academy Hymn, "O God of Bethel!" until 2007, when the popularity and metaphorical significance of "Will Your Anchor Hold?" (Hymn 412) caused it to be adopted for this purpose.[citation needed]

Combined Cadet Force and Pipe Band[]

Dollar Academy's CCF (Combined Cadet Force) have won the Scottish Schools' CCF Military skills competition (formerly the Highland CCF Tactical Competition) several times in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Dollar Academy's CCF was also the first Scottish CCF to win the Welbeck DSFC Cadet Leadership Challenge in 2013 and repeated this in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019. The CCF First Aid cadet team has also won at Scottish and National level every year since 2003.[citation needed]

The school has two main Pipe Bands. The "A" band won the Scottish Schools CCF Pipes and Drums competition every year from 2000 to 2012 and 2014 and 2015,[12][13] as well as winning the RSPBA World Pipe Band Championships in 2010, 2014 and 2015. In 2013, the band was placed first at the last "Major" of the season, the Cowal Gathering. In 2015, the band won the Scottish, British, United Kingdom, European and World Championships,[14] leading to them being awarded the title "Champion of Champions". Additionally, the Novice, or "B" band won the British, Scottish and European Championships in 2015,[15] and was crowned "Champion of Champions".[16]

Rectors[]

  • The Rev. Dr Andrew Mylne DD (1818–1850)
  • The Rev. Dr Thomas Burbidge (1850–1851)
  • The Dr John Milne LLD (1851–1868)
  • The Rev. Dr William Barrack (1868–1878)
  • George Thom (1878–1902)
  • Charles Dougall (1902–1923)
  • Hugh Martin (1923–1936)
  • Harry Bell OBE (1936–1960)
  • James Millar (1960–1962) – Acting Rector
  • Graham Richardson (1962–1975)
  • Ian Hendry (1975–1984)
  • Lloyd Harrison (1984–1994)
  • John Robertson (1994–2010)
  • David Knapman (2010–2019)
  • Ian Munro (current Rector)[17]

Prize day speakers[]

(Before 1900 it seems there was no invited speaker for Prize-Giving. The Chairman of Governors distributed the prizes. FP denotes a Former Pupil)

  • 1900 Professor Peter R. Scott Lang, Governor
  • 1901 Rev. John King, Governor
  • 1902 Professor John Kirkpatrick, Governor
  • 1903 Rev. Joseph Conn, Governor
  • 1904 Professor Peter R, Scott Lang, Chairman of Governors
  • 1905 Professor John Kirkpatrick, Governor
  • 1906 Rev. Dr James Wilson Harper, Governor
  • 1907 Sir James Dewar, FP, inventor of the Dewar Flask
  • 1908 Rev. Mr McIntosh, FP
  • 1909 Sir David Gill, FP, ex-Astronomer Royal
  • 1910 Professor Alexander Darroch, Governor
  • 1911 Rev. Dr Irvine Robertson, Governor
  • 1912 Mr William A. Raeburn, FP, shipowner
  • 1913 The Hon. Alexander Izat CE CIE, FP
  • 1914 Professor Peter R. Scott Lang, Chairman of Governors
  • 1915 Professor Peter R. Scott Lang, Chairman of Governors
  • 1916 Mr Richard Malcolm, Governor and ex-Provost of Dollar
  • 1917 Professor Peter R. Scott Lang, Chairman of Governors
  • 1918 Mr Samuel Pitt, FP
  • 1919 Andrew H. Briggs Constable KC, FP
  • 1920 Major James Simpson JP DL, FP, Governor
  • 1921 Rev. John Boyd, Chairman of the School Management Committee
  • 1922 Sir Robert Maule, FP
  • 1923 Sir David Wallace, FP
  • 1924 Colonel George St C. Thom CB CMG CBE, FP
  • 1925 Professor Hector J. W. Hetherington, FP
  • 1926 Dr Agnes Murgoci, FP, zoologist and folklorist
  • 1927 Sir Thomas Legge, FP
  • 1928 Rev. John Boyd, Chairman of the School Management Committee
  • 1929 Lieut-Colonel Patrick B. Haig CB, FP
  • 1930 Professor John Kynoch, FP
  • 1931 Lieut.-Col. W. F. Harvey CIE FRSE MB MA, FP
  • 1932 Mr Robert Gourlay Jardine, FP
  • 1933 Major-General P. H. Henderson DSO KHP, FP
  • 1934 Judge William S. Coutts CIE, FP, Governor
  • 1935 Mr Geoffrey Heyworth, FP, Director of Lever Brothers
  • 1936 Major Donald Ross MB ChB MB MRCP JP, FP
  • 1937 Rev George Blair
  • 1938 Sir William Robieson, Governor
  • 1939 Sir John Forbes Watson
  • 1940 Rev W S Wilson, Governor
  • 1941 Col Sir Alexander Russell, FP
  • 1942 Very Rev Principal G S Duncan, Governor
  • 1943 Rev W D O Rose MA, Governor
  • 1944 Professor James M Mackintosh, Governor
  • 1945 Sir W McNair Snadden, FP
  • 1946 Col E C Cross, FP
  • 1947 Sir Laurence Heyworth, FP
  • 1948 John D Westwood, FP
  • 1949 Rev Canon G. K. Sturrock Clarke, Governor
  • 1950 Rev Dr J. Lynn, Governor
  • 1951 Peter Norwell, FP, Governor
  • 1952 Rev P P Brodie, Governor
  • 1953 James A. Williamson, FP
  • 1954 Alan C. Mackay, FP
  • 1955 Prof. T. Erskine Wright, Governor
  • 1956 Air Vice Marshal Ronald Graham
  • 1957 The Earl of Mar and Kellie, Governor
  • 1958 Captain J. P. Younger CBE
  • 1959 Dr T. Crouther Gordon, Governor
  • 1960 Douglas Cruickshank, FP
  • 1961 Dr William Parker, FP
  • 1962 David Walker, Governor
  • 1963 W. Kersley Holmes, FP
  • 1964 Col. S. J. L. Hardie
  • 1965 W. McFarlane Gray
  • 1966 Dr T. L. Cottrell
  • 1967 Prof. J. Bennett Millar, Governor
  • 1968 George Sweet, FP
  • 1969 Frank Clark, FP
  • 1970 Lt Gen Sir Derek Lang; Commander-in-Chief of the Army in Scotland
  • 1971 Sheriff J. Irvine Smith
  • 1972 Dr Colin Miller
  • 1973 Sir Charles Illingworth, surgeon
  • 1974 John Webster, FP
  • 1975 Prof Nisbet, FP
  • 1976 Dr Crammond
  • 1977 Professor Donald MacKay, FP
  • 1978 Rt Rev Dr Peter P. Brodie, Governor; Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1978
  • 1979 Professor A G M Campbell, FP
  • 1980 Hector Munro CBE
  • 1981 John Cameron of BalbuthieCBE, FP
  • 1982 Roy de C Chapman, FP
  • 1983 Professor Christopher Blake CBE, FP
  • 1984 Sir Ian Morrow, FP
  • 1985 James Miller, FP
  • 1986 Dennison Berwick, travel writer
  • 1987 Group Captain Eric King, FP
  • 1988 Professor Struther Arnott
  • 1989 Chief Constable Ian Oliver
  • 1990 Janet Caird, FP
  • 1991 Professor Lalage Bown
  • 1992 R Macleod, FP
  • 1993 C Peter Kimber
  • 1994 Klaus-Jurgen Moll
  • 1995 Roy de C Chapman, FP
  • 1996 Norman Shanks
  • 1997 Jacqueline Smith, FP
  • 1998 Lt Col Derek Napier, FP
  • 1999 Joanna Trollope OBE, novelist
  • 2000 Dr Andrew Cubie, FP;
  • 2001 Andrew Neil, editor, The Sunday Times; chairman, Sky TV, owner, The Business, The Spectator
  • 2002 Eileen Kamm
  • 2003 George Reid MSP, FP, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament
  • 2004 Gerald Malone MP, former Conservative Minister for Health
  • 2005 Alex Salmond MP MSP
  • 2006 Caroline Flanagan, President Law Society of Scotland, FP
  • 2007 Professor Duncan Rice, Principal of the University of Aberdeen
  • 2008 Fraser Nelson, FP, editor of The Spectator
  • 2009 Johanna Boyd, FP
  • 2010 Keith M Brown, FP
  • 2011 Abeer Macintyre
  • 2012 Sir Brian Souter
  • 2013 Professor Christopher Riley
  • 2014 Mr Kenneth MacDonald
  • 2015 Dr Steven Greer
  • 2016 Mr Mark Beaumont
  • 2017 Professor Sir John Curtice
  • 2018 Rt Hon Lord Keen of Elie PC QC, FP
  • 2019 Alison Baum OBE
  • 2020 No Speaker due to COVID-19 pandemic
  • 2021 No Speaker due to COVID-19 pandemic

Former Pupils[]

See also: Category:People educated at Dollar Academy

Academia and science[]

Politics[]

Media and arts[]

Law[]

Military[]

  • Sir Charles Morton Forbes, naval officer
  • Colin Mackenzie, army and political officer in India

Royal or noble[]

Business[]

  • David Greig, landowner
  • Lord Heyworth of Oxton, Chairman of Unilever and ICI
  • Sir Archibald Page, engineer and electricity supply manager[25]
  • Sir William Reid - mining engineer and joint author of the "Reid Report" on the state of British mining
  • Sir Wei Yuk – nineteenth-century Hong Kong businessman and legislator

Sport[]

Miscellaneous[]

Notable teachers[]

  • Andrew Bell (1753–1832), educationalist and divine (Mathematics Master)
  • Patrick Syme (1774-1845), flower painter
  • Patrick Gibson (1782–1829), landscape painter (Professor of Painting)
  • William Tennant (1784–1848), linguist and poet (Master of Classical and Oriental Languages)
  • Prof David Laird Adams (1837–1892) (Classical and Oriental languages)
  • Dr James Clyde (1821-1912) (Modern Languages Teacher)
  • Adam Robson (1928-2007), Scottish Rugby Internationalist (Head of Art)
  • Jilly McCord (History and Modern Studies Teacher)

References[]

  1. ^ "History". Dollar Academy. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  2. ^ "Our People". Dollar Academy. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Boarding". Dollar Academy. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  4. ^ "Dollar Academy | Scotland's Boarding Schools". Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  5. ^ "Dollar Academy (Dollar, Scotland) - apply, prices, reviews | Smapse". smapse.com. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade - Database <Vessel Owner: McNabb>". Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  7. ^ "History". Dollar Academy. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  8. ^ "History of Dollar Academy". Archived from the original on 7 January 2007. Retrieved 3 August 2006.
  9. ^ "A Walk in the Past: The fire at Dollar Academy". Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  10. ^ http://www.dollaracademy.org.uk/news/776-the-westwater-building
  11. ^ "Dollar Academy Information for Pupils Booklet 2014–2015" (PDF).
  12. ^ Marjoribanks, Kaiya (2 July 2008). "Dollar Keep Tight Grip on Trophy". Stirling Observer. Retrieved 19 October 2008.
  13. ^ "Number of contest performances for Dollar Academy in 2015". The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  14. ^ "RSPBA 2015 Results".
  15. ^ "RSPBA 2014 Dollar Academy Results".
  16. ^ "Dollar Academy News Article – World Pipe Band Championships".
  17. ^ http://www.dollaracademy.org.uk/news/2039-ian-munro-appointed-as-the-14th-rector-of-dollar-academy
  18. ^ "Boswell, John Thomas Irvine". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/60909. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  19. ^ "Clark, Andrew". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/55619. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  20. ^ "MacKay, Sir Donald Iain". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  21. ^ Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X.
  22. ^ "Somerville [née Gibb], Euphemia Gilchrist". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/69908. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  23. ^ "Watt, Harry Raymond Egerton". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/48881. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  24. ^ "Clyde, James Avon, Lord Clyde". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/32460. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  25. ^ "Page, Sir Archibald". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/35349. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  26. ^ "Heddle, Charles William Maxwell". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/49291. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  27. ^ "Legge, Sir Thomas Morison". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/49286. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

External links[]

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