A Historic Return: Niddrie Marischal Alumni Revisit Their Roots

Castlebrae Business Centre, housed in a stunning B-listed Art Deco building, recently hosted a successful Doors Open Day. The event provided visitors with a unique opportunity to explore the building’s rich history and meet some of its current tenants.

Originally constructed in the early 1930s as Niddrie Marischal School, the building was designed to accommodate specialized classrooms for subjects like metalwork, woodwork, motor mechanics, electrical science, laundry, cookery, and sewing. This factory-like layout offered visitors a glimpse into the practical education provided to statutory school leavers at the time.

One of the highlights of the event was the reunion of former Niddrie Marischal pupils. Margaret McLeod, Minnie Lunn, and Maria Murray, who attended the school in 1948, 1958, and 1968 respectively, shared their memories of the school and its impact on their lives. Despite never having met before, they bonded over shared experiences and laughter, reminiscing about everything from the infamous black gym pants to their favourite (and least favourite) teachers.

The event also welcomed Miss Ann Ellison, a former teacher at Niddrie Marischal. Ellison recalled a heartwarming moment when her pupils dressed up and surprised her with gifts at her wedding.

Castlebrae Business Centre was delighted to host such a successful Doors Open Day and looks forward to welcoming even more visitors in the future. The event was a testament to the building’s enduring legacy and the importance of preserving its history. As the school was clearly a vital part of the local community in Craigmillar, Create Business Properties carries on that tradition, We’re proud to support local jobs and community initiatives and make good use of our spectacular building to help benefit future generations.

We’re already preparing for next year’s Doors Open Days and hope to build an exhibition to share memories of Niddrie Marischal School. So we’re calling out to former pupils and staff to get in touch with any memories, pictures or memorabilia they can share with us. Please send us an email to lynn@createbusinessproperties.com if you can help – we’d love to hear from you.

 

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