A little on how St. Hilary's used Thirlestane

When you visit Thirlestane today it’s hard to imagine that the castle’s beautiful rooms were once home to school children evacuated from Edinburgh. During the war Lord and Lady Lauderdale lived in the north wing of the castle, while the school largely used the central section of the castle that visitors can tour today.

     The rooms on the ground floor such as the library and Paneled room were used as classrooms. While on the first floor the large drawing room was used to store furunite from other rooms in the castle. With centuries of Maitland’s looking down on them the school used the dining room as their dining room/ assembly hall. This was also were the would put on plays. The upper two floors of the castle the school used as dormitories. The staff were put were ever there was room. The school used the kitchen that visitor’s today. They had to instill a large Esse Cooker. In the basement the old servant’s hall (present Tea room) was the kindergarten.

I know that this does not cover all the rooms in the castle and how they were used, but it gives you a good picture of how the school used many of the rooms on view to the public today.      

 

St. Hilary’s School for Girls was founded by Miss. Christina Muirhead in the 1920’s in Edinburgh. During the war the school was evacuated from Edinburgh to the safety of Thirlestane Castle in Lauder which was home to the 15^th Earl and Countess of Lauderdale.

   The school would remain at Thirlestane from 1939 until the end of 1944. However when Edinburgh wasn’t bombed in the same way London was Miss. Muirhead did open a branch school back in Edinburgh for parents didn’t want their children evacuated or who wanted them home. At Thirlestane the school had the use of most of the castle, while Lord and Lady Lauderdale and their family lived in one wing. The school used most of the main living rooms as classrooms while the upper floors were used as dorms.

    I have been researching the school’s time at Thirlestane for a couple of years. It’s a subject that I am very interested in and until now largely untold. When you visit Thirlestane today it’s hard to image that the castle’s beautiful rooms were once home to school children. During my research I was very fortunate to meet several ladies who had attended St. Hilary’s when it was Thirlestane. They very kindly shared their memoires with me; I owe them a lot.

If you have any information on the school’s time at Thirlestane or where a student with the school when it was at  Thirlestane I would love to hear from you.

You can contact me at jmanckiy@gmail.com  

Thank you,

Johnnie Manckiy