Building record MAB8704 - MILNE'S INSTITUTION, MILNE'S HIGH SCHOOL, FOCHABERS

Milne's Institution, now Milne's Primary School.

Milne's Institution, now Milne's Primary School. Built to a design by architect Thomas Mackenzie, 1845-6. It is a Neo-Tudor (Scots Elizabethan) quadrangular, 2-storey building with principal elevation to the north and mirrored return elevations east and west. It has tooled ashlar and polished ashlar sandstone dressings. There is a 9-bay principal north elevation with advanced outer and centre bays linked by 3-bay arcades with a terrace above the fronting first floor windows. The centre bay is pierced by a full height hoodmoulded arch framing recessed entrance and first floor window. Clasping octagonal buttresses rise above wallhead as cusped octagonal pinnacles, with exaggerated stiff leaf finials and a crenellated wallhead supporting niche housing statue of the founder, crowned as pinnacles but more ornate. There is a substantial oriel window in first floor of outer bays. The east and west elevations are each of seven bays, with advanced centre bay with hoodmoulded Tudor arched entrance and a similarly treated ground floor fenestration. The centre first floor window is under a stepped hoodmould. There is a square tower on the rear elevation that rises single stage above the centre of the building with crenellated angle finials and wallhead. Similarly, there are detailed octagonal angle turrets to each advanced bay and decorative crenellation to wallhead with intermediate finials. The roofs are slate. There is a low terrace with ashlar retaining wall and a shallow flight of steps fronts the building. The retaining wall enclosing the building fronts on to High Street, and is flanked by octagonal ashlar gatepiers with ornate still-leaf finalled caps. Simple ashlar gatepiers flank the west entrance to Institution Road. 'Milne's Free Schools' inscribed at base of founder's statue, Alexander Milne. The school was endowed by his legacy ($20,000). Alexander Milne (1742 - 1839) was a native of Fochabers and former employee of Gordon Castle who emigrated to America and made his fortune, most of which he left to his native town. On the exterior of the building is a war memorial 'In honour of former pupils who fell in the Great War 1914-1919'. It was renamed Milne’s High School in 1952, and renovated as Milne’s Primary School in 1995. A standing building survey of the former schoolhouse was carried out by S Farrell in January 2017. The schoolhouse dates from 1934-5, and retained a number of original fittings including fireplaces, woodwork and doors.

Period Notes
Built 1841-6; opened 20 December 1846. Designated 26/01/1971

Img 350, Img 350 (Ground Photograph). SAB36055.

Author unknown, , SCOTTISH NOTES AND QUERIES, 3rd SERIES(1923) 12 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1839.

MCKEAN, C, 1987, MORAY: AN ILLUSTRATED ARCHITECTURAL GUIDE, 118 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1142.

HISTORIC SCOTLAND, 1995, A96 FOCHABERS BYPASS : DESK ASSESSMENT (Bibliographic reference). SAB784.

DESK ASSESSMENT

FARRELL, S, 2017, ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORDING OF THE SCHOOLHOUSE, MILNE'S PRIMARY SCHOOL, FOCHABERS, MORAY, L1 SBS (Bibliographic reference). SAB4107.

FARRELL, S, 2017, PROJECT DESIGN FOR PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AT FORMER SCHOOLHOUSE AT MILNE'S PRIMARY SCHOOL, FOCHABERS, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB4126.

Aug 6 2003 , AAS-GR-03-08-028, AAS-GR-03-08-028 (Ground Photograph). SAB36099.

Aug 30 2006 , AAS/06/3/DG547, AAS/06/3/DG547 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31942.

Author unknown, n.d., THE NORTHERN SCOT, 14/11/14 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1270.

Author unknown, n.d., THE NORTHERN SCOT, 19/06/15 p.31 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1270.

Author unknown, n.d., THE NORTHERN SCOT, 24/02/17 p.23 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1270.

Record last edited

Aug 24 2023 3:36PM