Dollar Academy

Dollar Academy, founded in 1818 by John McNabb, is an independent co-educational day and boarding school in Scotland. The open campus occupies a site in the centre of Dollar, Clackmannanshire, at the foot of the Ochil Hills.

Overview

As of 2020, there are over 1200 pupils at Dollar Academy, making it the sixth largest independent school in Scotland.

Day pupils are usually from the village of Dollar or the surrounding counties of Clackmannanshire, Stirlingshire, Perth and Kinross, and Fife. The remaining pupils are boarders. Almost 50% of the boarding pupils are from overseas, with the rest being British nationals. The overall share of international students is about 20% of all students.

History

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, less than twenty years before the Slave Trade Act 1807. In 2019, in order to understand the extent of John McNabb’s involvement in the slave trade, research was commissioned in collaboration with external advisors. The school had been "shamed" about this connection in 1998. The school also teaches about McNabb's links to the slave trade in several subjects. McNabb bequeathed part of his fortune – £65,000, – to provide "a charity or school for the poor of the parish of Dollar where I was born".

Architecture

William Playfair was commissioned to design the building. 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. 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 Buildin''g 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.

Traditions

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.

Pipe Band

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, 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, 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, and was crowned "Champion of Champions".

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)

Former pupils

Academia and science

*John Thomas Irvine Boswell, botanist
* John Macmillan Brown, university professor and administrator
*Andrew Clark, church of England clergyman, scholar and diarist
* Sir James Dewar, inventor of the Vacuum flask
* John Archibald Watt Dollar, veterinarian to four monarchs
*George Alexander Gibson, physician and geologist
* Sir David Gill, astronomer
*William Frederick Harvey, public health expert, Director of the Central Research Institute in India, Vice President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
*Professor Sir Donald Mackay, economist
* Matthew Hay, physician and forensic expert
*John Robertson Henderson FRSE zoologist and antiquary
*Sir Hector Hetherington, social philosopher
* Henry Halcro Johnston botanist
* James MacRitchie, Municipal Engineer in Singapore 1883–95, Lighthouse Engineer in Japan
* James Samuel Risien Russell Guyanese-British physician, neurologist,
* Sir David Wallace, CMG, FRCSEd, Surgeon
* Andrew Wilson FRSE (1852-1912) zoologist and author

Politics

* Herbert Beresford, Canadian politician
*Sir George Christopher Molesworth Birdwood, colonial administrator in India
* Lord Constable CBE, KC, Conservative politician and judge
* William Scott Fell, Australian Liberal politician and businessman
*Sir John Dunlop Imrie FRSE CBE, City Chamberlain of Edinburgh 1926–1951, First Government Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago 1951–53
*Sir George Reid, Lord Lieutenant for Clackmannanshire and former Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament
* Sir William Snadden Bt, Conservative politician
* Euphemia Gilchrist Somerville, social worker and local politician
*Sir Frank Swettenham, first Resident-General of the Federated Malay States
* Mandy Telford, former President of the National Union of Students
*James Galloway Weir, Liberal MP and sewing machine entrepreneur
*Rt Hon Lord Keen of Elie PC QC, Conservative Party politician lawyer

Media and arts

* Henry Clark Barlow, literary scholar
* Ian Hamilton Finlay, poet, playwright, artist and experimental garden designer
* Alasdair Hutton OBE TD, announcer, former journalist and politician
* Alan Johnston, BBC
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