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Summary

Description

Loch Lomond And Trossachs National Park Planning Authority

Possibly early 18th century, asymmetrical single storey building with thick random rubble walls and slightly battered base. According to Gartmore residents, it served as a schoolroom for the village before the present school was built in the mid-1840s. Situated at the end of the garden of Briar Cottage (not currently listed, 2004), it faces on to the lane that leads to Freuchan. In 1719 the Scottish Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge (SSPCK) opened a school in Gartmore and, according to local residents, there is reason to believe that it was located in this building. Of early date and local importance as the first school in the planned estate village of Gartmore, which was laid out by the Grahams of Gartmore House in the 18th century.

The SW elevation faces on to Freuchan Lane and is composed of a timber boarded door to right with concrete lintel. Single 6-pane timber window to centre of SE (garden) elevation with 2 rooflights above, various blocked window openings to NW and SE elevations. The NE gable is blank. The slate roof is piended to SW, pitched to NE; presumably it was originally gabled at both ends. The timber roof joists were replaced in circa 1900 and the roof re-slated in the 1980s, at which point the gablehead stack to the NE gable was removed. Internally, there is an earth floor and fireplace with large stone lintel.

Statement of Special Interest

Although this building served as a school, there is, as yet, no direct evidence to prove that the SSPCK school in Gartmore was located in this building.

The SSPCK was established in 1709 to promote education, spread the Protestant religion and eradicate religious superstition in the Highlands and Islands. In general, the local heritors (landowners) would supply a school room and schoolmaster's house while the SSPCK provided a teacher. In 1719 the residents of the 'lands of Gartmore and Gartartan' appealed to the SSPCK to establish a school in Gartmore, as the parish school in Port of Menteith was over 3 miles away. The SSPCK duly established a school in the village and agreed to pay the master 100 merks annually. However, they would only set up the Gartmore school if 'heritors or a sufficient of inhabitants would promise to provide a dwelling house and a school room and grass for the master's cow and turfs for his fire'. It is recorded that a Mr Orcheardson, 'a well-qualified, pious and prudent youth', was paid 10 Scots pounds in 1720 and in 1721, 200 merks (SSPCK Minute Book, 1720). Pupils were instructed in Bible, Testament, Proverbs, Catechism, Writing and Arithmetic. In 1748 51 boys and 45 girls were registered as pupils (SSPCK, List of Schools, 1748).

According to the Gartmore Heritage Society, it continued to function as a schoolroom into the 20th century, as some of the older residents of the village remember attending lessons there. They were told to bring a peat block for the fire in the morning. During World War II the building served as the headquarters of the local Home Guard. It is now used for storage.

References

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