Description

Peddie & Kinnear (signed), 1860; additions 1878; Memorial Hall remodelled internally Scott Morton & Co, 1920; SE wing rebuilt after fire 1952. 2- and 3-storey with attic, 11-bay, Baronial school with 3-stage entrance tower with flanking turrets. Stugged squared and snecked rubble with ashlar dressings. Raised base course, stepped string courses and moulded eaves course. Segmental-headed moulded doorpiece. Hoodmould; corbelled turrets; gablet crowstepped gables. Stone transoms and mullions, and stop-chamfered arrises.

SW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical. Tall projecting centre bay with single windows at ground flanking further advanced centre tower with steps up to 2-leaf timber door under stepped hoodmould incorporating school emblem, windows on returns and transomed tripartite window at 2nd stage giving way to corbelled canted oriel window with stepped cornice incorporating relief carved '1859' at jettied 3rd stage, narrow light in gablehead surmounted by bellcote. Flanking re-entrant angles with weathervane-finialled conical-roofed 2-stage turrets corbelled over ground floor, with narrow lights at each stage. Set-back roof pitch with diminutive timber-pedimented dormer windows (blocked). Lower flanking bays with 4 windows to each floor, and stepped dividing string course incorporating blind panels, windows to 1st floor with finialled stone- pedimented dormerheads and small blind panels, those to ground right grouped 3-1 (latter bipartite). Broad gabled outer bays each with full-height canted window and further single window in gablehead.

NW ELEVATION: stone porch at left with raised centre tripartite and 2-leaf timber door on return to right, bipartite window above and 2 windows in bays to right at each floor; arrowslit to centre gablehead flanked by smaller finialled gables, that to left with moulded panel containing monogrammed initials 'PK'.

NE (REAR) ELEVATION: variety of elements to rambling elevation including single storey wing at right and advanced centre gable.

SE ELEVATION: rebuilt elevation with broad porch at left and regular fenestration.

3-, 4- and 8-pane glazing patterns in timber sash and case windows; coloured glass to transomed window (see Interior). Graded grey slates; fishscale pattern slates to turrets; modern rooflights. Coped ashlar stacks; ashlar-coped stepped skews, gabletted crowsteps and beak skewputts. Cast-iron downpipes with decorative rainwater hoppers and fixings.

INTERIOR: plain cornices; corniced doorpieces; segmental-arched openings and some boarded dadoes; screen door with etched glass (replacement). Dog-leg stone staircases with decorative cast-iron balusters. Oak-panelled memorial hall with names of pupils lost in WWI and WWII, cantilevered gallery and Memorial window by Douglas Strachan (1923?) depicting the Virtues and soldier receiving a drink.

Statement of Interest

B-Group with Lodge, Gates and Boundary Walls. Thomas Morison (the school formerly used this spelling) a native of Muthill who became a successful stone mason in Edinburgh, left part of his estate to "erect and endow an institution ... to promote the interests of mankind, having a particular regard to the Education of Youth and the diffusion of useful knowledge." After some difficulty locating a suitable site, the Academy was erected on the former Market Park (purchased from Lady Willoughby d'Eresby at a generous price) where the architects began work on 19th September, 1859. Work was carried out by Messrs T and D McGregor, masons, Mr Anderson, joiner, Mr Philips, slater, and Messrs I and D Donaldson, plasterers. Total costs amounted to over ?6,000. The Academy opened without ceremony on 1st October 1860, when the Rector was Rev William Ogilvie. After the First World War the School Hall was reconstructed with oak panelling, war memorials and the names of Dux and MacRosty medallists. It was dedicated as The Memorial Hall on 17th February, 1920, when an address was given by the Moderator of the Church of Scotland's General Assembly. In 1950 new light pendants of hammered ironwork were installed with funds raised by subscription. The east wing was destroyed by fire on14th February, 1952.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17836867

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

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  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings