Scottish School Uniform: Dollar Academy


Figure 1.--Boys at Dollar in the 1980s wore dark blue blazers with open collared white shirts and shorts with dark blue kneesocks. There was an active Cadet program.

Dollar Academy, located at Dollar near Sterling. Dollar is a "hillfoot" village in Clackmannanshire. A village existed at Dollar from an early date, but was destroyed by a military force commanded by the Duke of Montrose (1645). He was attacking a Covenanting force at Castle Campbell which overlooks Dollar Glen. The village was later rebuilt. The village was aided by the construction of the turnpike road (1806) and the opening of a textile mill--the Brunt Mill (1822). The major institution in Dollar today is Dollar Academy. The main building was designed by William Playfair and built (1818-20). The Academy was financed by John McNabb (1732-1802). He was a local herd-boy who went to sea, became a captain ande made a fortune. Dollar Academy is Scotland's (and apparently) the United Kingdom's oldest co-educational day and boarding school. Coeducation in private schools, especially at the secondary level, was not common in Scotland and England until the 1960s. The uniform is a dark blue blazer with the school crest. The girls wears a light-colored skirt and white kneesocks. The boys wear dark blue trousers or shorts with dark blue kneesocks, depending on their age. Presumably there once was a cap, but I am not sure when that was dropped. Through the 1980s, younger boys wore open-necked shirts while the senior boys wore neckties. The dress uniform is a tweed jacket and kilt for both the boys and girls.

Dollar Village

Dollar Academy, located at Dollar near Sterling. Dollar is a "hillfoot" village in Clackmannanshire. A village existed at Dollar from an early date, but was destroyed by a military force commanded by the Duke of Montrose (1645). He was attacking a Covenanting force at Castle Campbell which overlooks Dollar Glen. The village was later rebuilt. The village was aided by the construction of the turnpike road (1806) and the opening of a textile mill--the Brunt Mill (1822). The major institution in Dollar today is Dollar Academy.

History

The Academy was financed by John McNabb (1732-1802). He was a local herd-boy who went to sea, became a captain ande made a fortune. He left a bequest because he wanted a school to be built at Dollar. This is how most Scottish academies were founded. It is interesting that despite the charitable fondation that the schools have become private schools which are attended from children from affluent families. The imposing main building was designed by William Playfair and built (1818-20). Dollar Academy is Scotland's (and apparently) the United Kingdom's oldest co-educational day and boarding school. Coeducation in private schools, especially at the secondary level, was not common in Scotland and England until the 1960s.

Scottish Academies

One type of school characteristic to Scotland is the academy. Americans think of academies as military schools, but this was not the case in Scotland. The word "academy" has several meanings in the English language. The primary definition is a school with a specialized academic program. This is the sence that academy was adopted by American military schools, meaning a school with a s;evcisalized military program. Schools specializing in the arts are also often called academies. This as not the sence in which academy came to be used in Scotland. We do not yet have details on when academies first began to appear in Scotland. We do not know what individual or group adopted the term. We do know that it was adopted because of its clasical connotations. The classical Academy was of course was the classical school of philosophty based on Platonic thought. It was name after a grove of trees in Athens where Plato thought. We do not know when the first academy was founded in Scotlsand. We do know that academies were well established throughout Scotland by the late 19th century.

Uniform

The uniform in the 1980s is a dark blue blazer looking almost black with the school crest. The girls wears a light-colored skirt and white kneesocks. The boys wear dark blue trousers or shorts with dark blue kneesocks, depending on their age. During tghe regular school day the boys did not wear a cap, I am not sure when the cap was dropped as a a part of the every day uniform. Through the 1980s, younger boys wore open-necked shirts while the senior boys wore neckties. The dress uniform is a tweed jacket and kilt for both the boys and girls. A former student provides us more details, "I recently came across your website while searching for some information on Dollar Academy. I am a former pupil (1981-1986). . As of the time I left, the blazer was navy blue, as was the girls winter skirt. The shorts worn by the prep school and junior school pupils (and until the mid-eighties by forms 1 and 2) were also navy, as were the knee-socks. The girls summer dress was a vertically striped one piece dress that buttoned in the front and was light blue and white, worn with white knee-socks. The cap was still in use for students in the prep and junior schools (during my tenure) for formal occassions, and was navy blue with the school crest on the front. My younger brother still has his. The tie is alternating silver and navy blue diagonal stripes." [Wyatt]

Sources

Wyatt, H. Alan, E-mail message, December 15, 2004.








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Created: October 30, 2001
Last updated: 12:21 AM 12/15/2004