Established by the will of John Newland (a Jamaican-plantation slave owner) in 1799,[3][4][5] the school was originally located on Marjoribanks Street;[6] its main building dates from 1833 and was designed by R & R Dickson.[7] In 1965, the Academy merged with Lindsay High School and moved fully to a new campus further east at Boghall two years later.[8] 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.[9]
Old Bathgate Academy
The original Academy building was taken over by West Lothian College (originally Bathgate Technological College) in the 1960s[10] 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,[11][12] the old Academy lay unused for several years in the early 21st century before being converted to apartments, forming the centrepiece of a development.[13][14]
