Bun-sgoil Taobh na Pàirce (English: Parkside Primary School, referring to the adjoining

Pilrig Pilrig is an area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The name probably derives from the long field (rig) on which a peel tower (pil/peel) stood. There is evidence of a peel tower situated on an area of higher ground above the Water of ...

Park) is a Gaelic medium

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

. Administered by the City of Edinburgh Council, the school is open to any parents in the city or surrounding areas who wish to have their children learn and be educated through

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well ...

. The opening of Edinburgh's first dedicated Gaelic school on 16 August 2013, after many years of campaigning by parents and supporters, was hailed as a "landmark day" for the Scottish capital. Situated in the south of the district (and former municipal burgh) of

Leith Leith (; gd, Lìte) is a port area in the north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith. In 2021, it was ranked by ''Time Out'' as one of the top five neighbourhoods to live in the world. The earliest ...

, Bun-sgoil Taobh na Pàirce is housed in the refurbished former Bonnington Primary School building. The original 2-storey T-shaped school was built between 1875 and 1877 to the plans of James Simpson (1832-1894), then architect of the Leith School Board, and subsequently extended in 1907 by Simpson's old apprentice and eventual successor, George Craig (1852-1928). Bun-sgoil Taobh na Pàirce has a pupil roll of 418 pupils across 16 classes, as well as provision for a 40:40 Nursery. The school originated in the highly successful Gaelic unit within Tollcross Primary School. The unit opened in 1988 as a single class with seven children and subsequently grew in size and stature. The majority of children in Gaelic-medium education at Tollcross Primary School transferred to Bun-sgoil Taobh na Pàirce at its opening. The school feeds into James Gillespie's High School, which has a Gaelic language unit for 120 pupils, for Secondary education. The City of Edinburgh Council are currently considering options for a replacement, standalone Gaelic Medium secondary school. Sites which have been considered include on a shared campus with

Liberton High School Liberton High School is a secondary school in Liberton, Scotland, Liberton, in the south of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is located on Gilmerton Road. The school roll for the 2014–15 academic year was 610. Liberton High School has had certain g ...

or on vacated sites at the former

Lothian and Borders Police Lothian and Borders Police was the territorial police force for the Scottish council areas of the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian between 1975 and 2013. The force's headquarters were in Fettes ...

headquarters in Fettes or the Royal Victoria Hospital in Craigleith.

References

External links

Bun-sgoil Taobh na Pàirce - school website
Primary schools in Edinburgh Scottish Gaelic education 2013 establishments in Scotland Educational institutions established in 2013 Listed schools in Scotland Category C listed buildings in Edinburgh School buildings completed in 1877 {{Scotland-school-stub

See also

References

External links