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Bathgate Academy is a mixed secondary school in Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland, also serving the nearby town of Blackburn.

History

Established by the will of John Newland (a Jamaican-plantation slave owner) in 1799, the school was originally located on Marjoribanks Street; its main building dates from 1833 and was designed by R & R Dickson. In 1965, the Academy merged with Lindsay High School and moved fully to a new campus further east at Boghall two years later. The existing Lindsay High building on Kirk Road was taken over by the local Catholic school, St Mary's Academy, which already had its own buildings next door – all were demolished in 1994. From 1970 to 1988, the rector (headteacher) was Ian McGregor.

The original Academy building was taken over by West Lothian College (originally Bathgate Technological College) in the 1960s when the secondary school moved to its current location – it was also used as annexe to Balbardie Primary School in the 1960s and 70s. After the college moved to new premises in Livingston, the old Academy lay unused for several years in the early 21st century before being converted to apartments, forming the centrepiece of a development.

Notable former pupils

This article's list of alumni may not follow Misplaced Pages's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations. (March 2024)

• John McIntyre, Professor of Divinity and Principal of New College in the University of Edinburgh, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Dean of the Thistle
• Paul di Resta, Formula 1 racing driver and television presenter
• Richard B. Angus of Montreal, co-founder of the Canadian Pacific Railway and President of the Bank of Montreal
• Lieutenant-General Sir James Baird, senior British Army officer and Director General Army Medical Services
• Sir Andrew Stark, British ambassador to Denmark
• Jack Kane, Lord Provost of Edinburgh
• Robert Lyell Mitchell, chemist
• Marcus Fleming, economist
• Very Rev Alison Elliot, first female Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
• William Wolfe, Leader of the SNP

References

1. School Background, Bathgate Academy
2. The First Scots in Jamaica, Flag Up Scotland Jamaica
3. Bathgate Procession and John Newland Festival changes name due to Newland's links to slavery, Daily Record, 10 June 2020
4. A Distant Connection – Newlands & Sugar in Jamaica in the 18th – 19th Centuries, Kerrie Anne Christian, Newlands Reaching Across The Waters
5. Bathgate, Marjoribanks Street, Bathgate Academy, Canmore
6. Bathgate Academy, Dictionary of Scottish Architects
7. Heritage, Bathgate Academy
8. Obituary: Ian MacGregor, Tam Dalyell, The Independent, 21 August 1996
9. Bathgate in old picture postcards, William F. Hendrie, ISBN 9789028831674, via European Library
10. West Lothian College celebrates 50th birthday, Daily Record, 21 February 2016
11. West Lothian College, Gazetteer for Scotland
12. Bathgate Academy, Miller developments, ZM Architecture
13. Check out the £145,000 bungalow tucked away inside this stunning A-listed West Lothian building, Edinburgh Live, 1 July 2019

External links

• Official website

• Secondary schools in West Lothian
• Bathgate
• Educational institutions established in 1833
• 1833 establishments in Scotland
• School buildings completed in 1965