The grave of Thomas Morison, St Cuthberts, Edinburgh

Morrison's Academy is a co-educational

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

day school A day school — as opposed to a boarding school — is an educational institution where children and adolescents are given instructions during the day, after which the students return to their homes. A day school has full-day programs when compar ...

Crieff Crieff (; gd, Craoibh, meaning "tree") is a Scottish market town in Perth and Kinross on the A85 road between Perth and Crianlarich, and the A822 between Greenloaning and Aberfeldy. The A822 joins the A823 to Dunfermline. Crieff has become ...

Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross ( sco, Pairth an Kinross; gd, Peairt agus Ceann Rois) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Fife, Highland and S ...

, in Central Scotland. The school provides nursery, primary and secondary school facilities. It draws many pupils from surrounding

and

Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...

History

Morrison's Academy owes its foundation to Thomas Morison (also spelled Morrison). Born in 1761 in the village of

Muthill Muthill, pronounced , is a village in Perth and Kinross, Perthshire, Scotland. The name derives from scottish gaelic Maothail meaning “soft-ground”. The village lies south of Crieff, just west of the former railway line connecting Crief ...

; his mother belonged to Crieff. Morison trained as a stonemason and, after working some years in

Auchterarder Auchterarder (; gd, Uachdar Àrdair, meaning Upper Highland) is a small town located north of the Ochil Hills in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, and home to the Gleneagles Hotel. The High Street of Auchterarder gave the town its popular name of "Th ...

, he moved to

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

and set up his own business. He made his fortune as the builder of a substantial part of the city's beautiful Georgian

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(the sections north of Queen Street). Morison died age 59 on 30 August 1820 in Edinburgh. He had no children and, rather than letting his entire fortune fall into the hands of relatives, directed his trustees in his will to: "erect and endow an institution or institutions as to them shall appear best calculated to promote the interests of mankind, having a particular regard to the Education of youth and the diffusion of knowledge." And he continues, "although I do not wish to confine this object to a particular place, yet I have regard in my views to the part of the country where I was born, and to the city of Edinburgh, where I long resided and acquired my fortune." He finishes by saying, "I rather incline to point at a new institution which may bear my name and preserve the remembrance of my good intentions for the welfare and happiness of my fellowmen". After years of searching for a suitable location, his trustees decided on Crieff, near to where Morison was born, rather than Edinburgh which was already well served with schools. They purchased the old market site where the cattle tryst used to be held before it moved south to Falkirk. The school opened for business on 1 October 1860. Morison is buried in the north-east corner of the north extension to Edinburgh's St. Cuthbert's Churchyard. In 2018 Morrisons said they planned to merge with Beaconhurst School, Bridge of Allan but Beaconhurst went into administration. In 2021 the

Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry was established in October 2015 to inquire into cases of abuse of children in care in Scotland. It was to report and make recommendations within four years by 2019. But this deadline was later changed to "as soon ...

heard accusations from former pupils at Morrisons that they suffered physical abuse when they were at the school. The lawyer representing Morrisons said the most recent case was 30 years ago. He admitted that the school had failed to stop the abuse.

Houses

There are four school houses: * Murrays * Campbells * Grahams * Drummonds

Notable alumni

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Category B listed buildings in Perth and Kinross Independent schools in Perth and Kinross Educational institutions established in 1860 Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference Crieff 1860 establishments in Scotland