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Leith Nautical College was a
In 1974, the number of full time and part time students enrolled at the college reached 2,000. In 1978, the college moved to a new building on Milton Road in Portobello (). Following a review by the Scottish Education Department and the Convention of Scottish Authorities, it was decided to close the college and instead move all maritime training to a single site in Glasgow. A campaign was raised in 1986 to prevent the closure of the college, but it was unsuccessful as Allan Stewart, Scottish Minister for Education ordered the college to end its teaching the following year. In 1987, the college was finally closed by the Scottish Education Department. The college site became part of the Jewel and Esk College, later renamed
Leith Nautical College was a maritime
Maritime may refer to:
Geography
* Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps
* Maritime Region, a region in Togo
* Maritime Southeast Asia
* The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Princ ...
college
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...
in 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 ...
, Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. The college provided instruction for the training of Merchant Navy officers and other seafarers. Courses offered included naval architecture, marine engineering, telegraphy, radar and marine electronics.
History
In 1855, the college was established as the Leith Navigation School, after the passing of theMerchant Shipping Act 1854
The Merchant Shipping Act 1854 (17 & 18 Vict c. 104) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was passed on 10 August 1854, together with the Merchant Shipping Repeal Act 1854 (17 & 18 Vict c. 120), which together repealed several c ...
that authorised the Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a British government body concerned with commerce and industry, currently within the Department for International Trade. Its full title is The Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of ...
to allow training and examination of officers. The school was first located in the Mariner’s Church in Commercial Street. In 1903, the college was renamed as Leith Nautical College and moved into a new building at 108 Commercial Street () a short distance from the Mariner's Church. The new college was opened on 4 February 1903 by the Secretary for Scotland
The secretary of state for Scotland ( gd, Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba; sco, Secretar o State fir Scotland), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom
ga, Rialtas a Shoi ...
Lord Balfour of Burleigh
Lord Balfour of Burleigh, in the County of Kinross, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1607 for Sir Michael Balfour.
He was succeeded by his daughter, Margaret, his only child. She married Robert Arnot, who assumed the su ...
. The 1903 building was extended in 1926 and 1931, and is Category B listed.
Marine engineering was first introduced as a course in the college in 1920. In 1927, a radio department was added to the college. In 1944, the college introduced training courses for the deck officers
The deck department is an organisational team on board navy, naval and merchant ship, merchant ships. The department and its manning requirements, including the responsibilities of each rank are regulated within the STCW Convention, applicable on ...
.
In the 1960s, a final extension to the college for marine engineering was added at 104/106 Commercial Street.
In 1974, the number of full time and part time students enrolled at the college reached 2,000. In 1978, the college moved to a new building on Milton Road in Portobello (). Following a review by the Scottish Education Department and the Convention of Scottish Authorities, it was decided to close the college and instead move all maritime training to a single site in Glasgow. A campaign was raised in 1986 to prevent the closure of the college, but it was unsuccessful as Allan Stewart, Scottish Minister for Education ordered the college to end its teaching the following year. In 1987, the college was finally closed by the Scottish Education Department. The college site became part of the Jewel and Esk College, later renamed Edinburgh College
Edinburgh College is a further and higher education institution with campuses in Edinburgh and Midlothian, Scotland. It serves the Edinburgh Region, Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian, and is the largest college in Scotland. It was fo ...
. When the college closed, maritime education services were moved to the Glasgow College of Nautical Studies
Glasgow College of Nautical Studies was a further education college of nautical and maritime studies, and a provider of marine and offshore training courses. On 26 March 2009, it was announced that the college would merge with the Central Colle ...
. The records and collections of the college are held at the Museum and Archive of Heriot Watt University
Heriot-Watt University ( gd, Oilthigh Heriot-Watt) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and subsequently granted univ ...
.
TS Dolphin
The college owned atraining ship
A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house classr ...
, the ''TS Dolphin''. The training ship was in operation between 1944 and 1977. The ship was berthed at the West Old Dock.
The TS was originally launched in 1882 and before becoming a training ship was commissioned in the Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
as ''HMS Dolphin''.
References
{{GeoGroup Buildings and structures in Leith Maritime colleges in the United Kingdom Training ships of the United Kingdom