Lochaber High School
| Lochaber High School | |
|---|---|
 View in July 2009 | |
| Location | |
 | |
Camaghael, Fort William , Highland , PH33 7ND Scotland | |
| Information | |
| Type | Comprehensive |
| Established | 1960 |
| Local authority | Highland |
| Head teacher | J Sutherland |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrollment | 862 |
| Colour(s) | Black & White |
| Website | http://www.lochaber.highland.sch.uk |
Lochaber High School is a six-year comprehensive secondary school located in the town of Fort William, Lochaber, in the Highland region of Scotland.
The current Head Teacher is J Sutherland. It is situated off the A830.
Associated primary schools
There are eleven primary schools in the area:
Banavie, Caol, Fort William, Fort William RC (with a Gaelic medium), Invergarry, Inverlochy, Lochyside Roman Catholic, Roy Bridge, Spean Bridge and Upper Achintore. In the foreseeable future, Fort William primary and Upper Achintore primary will be merged, and a new Gaelic school will be opened. St Brides, Arisaig, Lady Lovat and Mallaig primaries are all situated near the Mallaig and Morar area. [1]
History
Lochaber High School was founded in 1960. It also served the fishing communities near Mallaig prior to the opening of its high school. As the only high school in the area, it is affiliated with primary schools and takes in pupils from villages and settlements around Fort William.
In September 2001 pupils appeared as extras in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for scenes on a train (GWR 4900 Class 5972 Olton Hall with six coaches from The Jacobite on the Glenfinnan Viaduct).
In May and June 2003 90 pupils were extras in the film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third Harry Potter film, but any fees paid to them on a school day went into school funds. This was around £2,500 in total. Filming took place in Glencoe.[2]
In 2006 school dress code was re-introduced on a voluntary basis. In 2011/12, school uniform (school tie, shirt, black jumper/cardigan etc) was made mandatory to wear.
Notable former pupils
- Danny Alexander - Lib Dem MP since 2005 for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey and the current Chief Secretary to the Treasury, (formerly Secretary of State for Scotland)
- Fiona O'Donnell - Labour MP for East Lothian
- Barry Hutchison - Award-winning author and screenwriter
- Gary Innes - musician and shinty player
- Charles Kennedy - Lib Dem MP since 2005 for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, from 1997-2005 for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, and from 1983-97 for Ross, Cromarty and Skye (SDP from 1983-8), and Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1999 to 2006
- Carol Kirkwood, BBC weather presenter
- John McGinlay, footballer
- Hugh Dan MacLennan - broadcaster, author and sporting academic
- Donald Park - football coach and former player
- Duncan Shearer, footballer
- John Godfrey, special adviser to Home Office ministers
- Kate Bracken - Actress, Guest appearances in Inspector George Gently, New Tricks and playing female lead, Alex, in BBC3's Being Human
- Justin Ryan, TV presenter and interior designer
- Nancy Nelson, Award winning fashion designer and owner of Sobriquet Lingerie
- Finlay Wild, hill runner and ski mountaineer
References
- ^ "Lochaber High School". Lochaber High School. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
- ^ Harry Potter in 2003