Mackie Academy is a secondary school in

Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire Stonehaven ( , ) is a town in Scotland. It lies on Scotland's northeast coast and had a population of 11,602 at the United Kingdom Census 2011#2011 Census for Scotland, 2011 Census. After the demise of the town of Kincardine, Aberdeenshire, Kin ...

. As of 2015, Mackie Academy had roughly 1170 pupils and 80 teaching staff. The feeder primary schools are Arduthie, Bervie, Catterline, Dunnottar, Glenbervie, Gourdon, Johnshaven, Kinneff, Lairhillock, and Mill O'Forest.

History

The school was founded in 1893 thanks to the generosity of a local

merchant A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as indust ...

, William Mackie, who bequeathed money in his will to establish a school in Stonehaven. The original site was on Arduthie Road, where Arduthie Primary school is now situated. The original building on this site was destroyed in a fire in the 1920s and had to be rebuilt. The new building on Slug Road was officially opened on 20 March 1970 by former pupil Alexander Robertson, though teaching was suspended at the time due to strikes. This land had previously been used as the Academy playing fields and the grounds around the present building are still used for this purpose. Between mid-2009 and late 2010 extensive work was carried out to the toilet facilities introducing 13 disabled toilets and 15 toilets. The school served a large geographical area surrounding Stonehaven until the opening of Portlethen Academy, which reduced the catchment area of the school drastically. After 2009, a large fence was erected around the school grounds. In January 2021, the decision was taken to close the

swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built ...

and use the space for other sports facilities.

Pupil activities

The school's pupils are divided into five different

houses A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

, which are derived from the surrounding geography of Stonehaven and historical local figures. These houses are

Cowie Cowie may refer to: People *Cowie (surname) Places *Cowie, Aberdeenshire, an historic fishing village located at the north side of Stonehaven, Scotland **Cowie Castle, a ruined castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland ** Chapel of St. Mary and St. Natha ...

, Dunnottar, Fetteresso, Swanley and

Ury Ury or URY may refer to: Places * River Ury, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland * Ury House, Stonehaven, Kincardineshire, Scotland, an historic mansion * Ury, Seine-et-Marne, a commune in the Seine-et-Marne département of France * Ury, West Virginia, Uni ...

. Until 2014, a 6th house, Rickarton, was included in the school. However, this house was then disintegrated due to drops in pupil population and the retiring of Rickarton's guidance teacher.

References

External links

* {{authority control Secondary schools in Aberdeenshire Stonehaven 1893 establishments in Scotland Educational institutions established in 1893