Blairs College

Not to be confused withBlair College.

Blairs Museum

Sunset at Blairs College in 2001
Established	1829
Location	Blairs, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Type	Catholic church
Website	Official website

Stained-glass in Blairs College

St Mary's College, Blairs(commonly known asBlairs College), situated nearAberdeeninScotland,was from 1829 to 1986 a juniorseminaryfor boys and young men studying for theRoman Catholic priesthood.Part of the former college now houses Blairs Museum, the museum ofScotland's Catholic heritage.The New Chapel is a Category Alisted building,with the other buildings listed as Category B.

History

St Mary's Chapel, Blairs College

Lying on the south bank of theRiver Dee,betweenKirkton of MaryculterandAberdeen,the land on which the seminary was built was originally owned by theKnights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem,before passing to the Menzies family in 1542. In 1827 the land was donated by John Menzies of Pitfodfels (1756-1843) to thebishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland,and the original building, Menzies House, converted into a seminary for 25 pupils. In 1829,Lismore SeminaryandAquhorthies Collegewere merged, then closed and the students moved to Blairs College.

A major expansion was executed from 1897 to 1902 with a new chapel by Robert Curran ofWarringtonand new lectures rooms and accommodation byRobert Gordon WilsonofAberdeen.The new buildings were formally opened byBishop Chisholmon 23 September 1903.

The college's book collection is housed inAberdeen University Library,and the archives at the Scottish Catholic Archives.

The college closed in 1986, but the chapel continue to be used as a place of worship. There is a SundayMassin the chapel every week at 9:30 a.m.In June 2022, it was announced that the chapel would close as a place of worship. A final decision is to be made by the end of September 2022.

• The college now homes Blairs Museum, a museum of Catholic History with significant collections of art relating toMary, Queen of Scots,the Jacobites and the history of Catholicism in Scotland. The museum is open at weekends from April to September or by appointment.

Notable former pupils

See also:Category:People educated at Blairs College

• Andrew Boyle(1919–1991), broadcaster, historian
• Robert Fraser(1858–1914) Bishop of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Dunkeld
• Sylvester McCoy,actor
• Fr.Allan MacDonald(1859–1904), priest, poet, and folklore collector inSouth UistandEriskay.A highly important figure inScottish Gaelic literature.

Notable Staff

• Edward Douglas,Bishop of Motherwell
• Peter Moran,Bishop of Aberdeen

Presidents

• Peter J. Grant, 1864–90
• Aeneas Chisholm,1890–99

Rectors

• James McGregor, 1899–1928
• Francis Cronin, 1928–39
• Patrick McGonagle, 1939–47
• Gordon J. Gray,1947–51
• Stephen McGill,1951–60
• Francis S. W. Thomson,1960–64
• Daniel P. Boyle, 1965–67
• James Brennan, 1967–74
• Benjamin Donachie, 1974–80
• Keith P. O'Brien,1980–85
• John McIntyre, 1985–86

See also

• St. Peter's Seminary (Cardross)

External links

• Blairs Museum The Museum of Scotland's Catholic Heritage
• Blairs College Official website of the 'Friends of Blairs'
• Buildings at Risk Register entry
• Urban Exploration of Blairs
• Another Urban Exploration of Blairs
• A third Urban Exploration of Blairs
• Article about new development
• Site entry at National Record of the Historic Environment