Scotland Street School Museum

Scotland Street School was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh between 1903-1906 and was commissioned by the School Board of Glasgow. Now, as a museum, it tells the story of education in Scotland over a hundred years, from the late 19th century to the late 20th century.

The building is a must see for Mackintosh fans, as a fantastic example of his architectural style. With many features built into the stonework and staircases, there is something around every corner.

When Scotland Street School first opened on the 15th August 1906, it served a growing population employed by the then vast shipbuilding industry and engineering works in and around the River Clyde. At its peak, it could accommodate 1250 pupils and for seventy-three years generations of Glasgow children from the Kingston and Tradeston areas in the south side of the city were educated within these walls.

The area started to alter after the Second World War due to city wide developments to improve housing and transport and the decline of the Glasgow shipping industry.  Residents were gradually relocated to the new towns being built outside Glasgow. The tenement flats they left behind were demolished to make way for the inner-city ring road. The community had moved out of Kingston, and Scotland Street School found itself isolated in a wilderness of roads and industrial warehouses.  It closed as a school in 1979 with only 89 pupils remaining on its roll. 

In telling the story of education Scotland Street School Museum offers a fascinating glimpse into the past. See what school days were like in the reign of Queen Victoria, during World War II, and in the 1950s and 60s, in our three reconstructed classrooms. You can even dress up as a pupil from the past!