Room 36 / Library
Past Life
This room was the school library until the late 1950s, which then moved across to the (now-demolished) east-wing extension. It laterally served as an English classroom.
“Until the now demolished 1961 extension was opened, this was the school library. This room then became Room 36 for the teaching of English”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural freelancer? This room will be a bright and inspiring desk-rental space for individuals and small organisations working in the creative industries.
If you are interested in renting a desk in this room, register your interest using the link below. Once we announce the formal application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
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Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Secretary's Office
Past pupil Donnie Macleod remembers the his commute to school at Inverness Royal Academy. Recorded during the 50th school reunion for the class of 1967 at Kingsmills, Inverness in 2017.
Past Life
The school secretary’s office is just inside the front door, although in 1895 plans this room was originally for the school Master who would have supported the Rector.
Past secretaries included Miss McGill who worked in this room from 1929 until she retired in 1969 and Louise Munro, who well known in local drama circles, joined in 1969 and herself retired in the early 2000s.
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space.
Support Us
We’re turning the old secretary’s office into a meeting room for creative tenants, visiting groups and members of the community. Would you like to support this fantastic new facility in the centre of Inverness?
Rector's Office
Past Life
This room was originally the Rector’s office and similar to the Governess’ office across the entrance corridor it had a fireplace. The seven Royal Academy Rectors who ran the school from that office were William Watson, Gilbert Watson, George Morrison, William Crampton Smith, Donald John MacDonald, William S MacDonald and Ian Fraser.
“In the 1970s, under Ian Fraser, an April Fool prank involved pupils navigating a goat into this sanctum sanctorum. Unfortunately the beast emptied its bowels on the royal blue Rectorial carpet.
Trivia alert – the only former pupil to occupy that office was Derek McGinn, but as Rector of the then new Culloden Academy which briefly occupied the building after the Royal Academy moved out in 1979.”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? This room will be a small office space for organisations working in the creative industries.
If you are interested in renting a desk in this room, register your interest using the link below. Once we announce the formal application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Would you like to see your name on the Rector’s door? Would your school leaver’s group would like to be remembered in this space? Then contact us to discuss opportunities to support the refurbishment of the Rector’s office.
English Classroom - Room 4
Past Life
This was an English room which, until he became Head of Department and moved upstairs, was occupied by Eddie Hutcheon in 1960s.
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Modern Languages Classroom - Room 5
Past Life
This was a Modern Languages room which was separated from the adjoining classroom by a sliding door allowing for larger flexible spacw.
“On its rear wall there used to be a mural which dated from the early 1960s. An audio-visual French course was pioneered here with First Year in session 1965-66.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 1 – Modern Languages / Reception
Past Life
During Midmills’ time as Inverness College this room became the reception area with a hatch that opened onto the main entrance hall. Originally these two adjoining rooms where described as Head Governess and Assistant Governess’ offices. When Phase two of Wasps’ development opens to the public this will also be the main reception area.
“Room 1, a modern languages classroom. In the 1970s, Jimmy Johnstone, as Depute Rector, used to make frequent visits down Stephen’s Brae to the bank. On his return one day, when cars were relocated to the front because the back car park was a construction site, he was barked at by Maude Anderson’s dogs which she famously kept in her car all day and which were notorious for this. Jimmy proceeded to bark back… until he noticed that he was being observed from the windows by all the occupants of Room 1.
Since Maude’s Room 21 has been demolished, I must take the opportunity of a few words about one of the school’s great “worthies” and eccentrics. Maude, a conspicuously large lady, called everyone “dearie”, including the Rector. Initially she was Miss Yule who joined the staff on August 29th 1939.
Miss Yule had three aims in life – a car, a fur coat and a man and determinedly got all three in that order. The car she appeared to drive at a steady 18 mph in second gear and the man was Ian Anderson, a tradesman who had come to do a job in her house. How she managed to bag the best Science room in the place when the 1961 extension opened, no one seemed to know, and her Head of Department was relegated to the huts. This at least meant that when he saw her waddling across the back playground towards him, he was able to hide in his large cupboard.“
Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Would you like to help Wasps welcome the Highlands’ creative community and all of our visitors to Midmills in this exciting new era? Why not help us refurbish this room? Please contact us to discuss options to support this space.
Room 3 - Maths Classroom
Past Life
“Room 3. This was mainly a Maths room which I think had one or two occupants, including Annice “Ma” Hardie whose son David Hardie was a former Dux and prominent within Inverness musical circles.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room - Latin & Greek Classroom
Past Life
“Room 4. This was the home of the legendary Jess Thomson who taught Latin and Greek at the school for 41 years – most, if not all of that, in the same room. Jess, a pupil since 1911, Dux in 1924 and staff member from 1931, had a brilliant intellect, to the extent of eccentricity. Her day would begin with a walk from her house on Balilfeary Road up Stephen’s Brae carrying two huge leather bags which some reckoned were used to feed horses in the Second Carthaginian War, muttering away to herself. She was prone to sudden outbursts in class, especially if someone didn’t know something and was often hear to screech “You are the creeeeam of the community…. and you know NOTHING!”
Also highly committed to enforcing the traffic regulations, she frequently mistook young teachers for pupils and sent them back.
In the early days Room 4 looked straight out on to the hall which was used for music teaching so sometimes had a piano. Jess used to tend lovingly a flower in a vase on the piano… until someone cut the head off it. Jess went berserk and ordered the Rector to institute an intensive investigation.
When George VI died in 1952, Jess wore purple which, apparently, was the Roman colour of mourning.
Her retiral speech in 1972 was a matter of staff room folklore for decades to come.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Staircase
1913 Corridor
Past Life
In 1913, the Inverness Royal Academy building was substantially extended with the construction of a new building for the increasingly popular science and art subjects for which the school was becoming renowned. This building was designed by Robert Macbeth and was completed after his death in 1912.
“Outside Room 17 was a radiator whose valve someone once managed to loosen and remove during one morning interval, sending an unstoppable torrent of hot water for yards down the corridor. For many years after the Royal Academy moved out, the staircase still had studs on the bannister to prevent anyone sliding down it.”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 17 - Chemistry Classroom
Past Life
This room was originally designed as one large science lab – a key requirement at the time. You can see archive photographs of this space taken by local photographer Andrew Paterson. The room is now divided into two spaces.
“Room 17, a Chemistry lab which had various occupants over the years. It was the epicentre of the Chemistry Department’s contribution to a big Science Fair which was held in 1966. Its last occupant was Margaret Murray who was a pioneer Principal Teacher of Guidance in the 1970s.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Meet the Tenant
Wasps are providers of studios and workspaces for artists, makers and creative industries and facilities for communities across Scotland. The first phase of Inverness Creative Academy opened in December 2018, providing affordable studio spaces for around 40 artists and makers.
In this room is the Art Department from Inverness College UHI
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 18 - Chemistry/Darkroom
Past Life
“Room 18 was another Chemistry lab. Its occupant for many years was another alliteratively nicknamed staff member – ‘Hairy Hugh’ MacDonald. Hugh could sometimes get a bit confused himself, especially when new methods of naming organic compounds were introduced in the late 1960s. On one occasion a demonstration experiment went badly wrong and when somebody laughed Hugh, who had a heart condition, went crimson and totally apoplectic, invoking serious concern for his health.”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Inverness College was based at Midmills for over 30 years, before moving to its new site at Inverness Campus in August 2015. One of the college’s legacies in the building is the darkroom.
“The new Inverness Darkroom sits almost on the same spot as the first ever ‘teaching’ darkroom in the Highlands, which was created in 1948 by Fred Hardley when it was occupied by Inverness Royal Academy. In turn the Inverness College art department created a modern darkroom in the building around 2003. So, the current darkroom is the 3rd to be built, and we are carrying on a now long established photographic tradition!
It is fitting that Wasps’ Inverness Creative Academy now hosts working artists, a dedicated community of photographers and students from the UHI – carrying on the creative enterprise begun by Fred Hardley in 1948.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Meet the Tenant
Wasps are providers of studios and workspaces for artists, makers and creative industries and facilities for communities across Scotland. The first phase of Inverness Creative Academy opened in December 2018, providing affordable studio spaces for around 40 artists and makers.
The Inverness Darkroom opened in February 2019 at Inverness Creative Academy and is a community workspace with 8 enlargers and black & white film processing facilities. They run regular workshops and membership of the darkroom is affordable and flexible with options to pay monthly, quarterly or annually.
www.theinvernessdarkroom.org.uk
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 19 - Head of Science
Past Life
“Room 19, which was the Head of Chemistry’s room. It was occupied from the 1930s until 1968, when he retired, by Tom “Tomuck” Fraser who had been Head of Science until the subjects split in the 60s, whereupon he became Head of Chemistry. “Talk less, learn more” was one of the mantras of this somewhat absent minded Session Clerk of Ness Bank Church.
Another occasional occupant was Miss Taylor, known universally as “Parrot” who had joined the staff in 1921 and, despite a tiny stature which obliged her to stand on a box to belt boys, had a fearsome temper.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Rent this Room
This large workshop space is equipped with tables, chairs, easels and two sinks. The workshop is available to hire for meetings or art classes. Please get in touch with our Property Manager, Catherine MacNeil for more information: catherinemacneil@waspsstudios.org.uk
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 20 - Physics Classroom
Past Life
“Room 20, a Physics room occupied by shinty legend John Willie Campbell and then Ian MacLean who was always known as Fred due to an alleged resemblance to Fred Flintstone. One of Fred’s teaching methodologies was to set his pupils written problems and to glower at them from his desk in the corner whilst marking homework jotters.
In between Rooms 19 and 20, now apparently a stairwell, was a science preparation room where, during the last period before lunch, Fred would set up a pan of tatties on tripod stand and boil them using a Bunsen burner.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Meet the Tenant
Wasps are providers of studios and workspaces for artists, makers and creative industries and facilities for communities across Scotland. The first phase of Inverness Creative Academy opened in December 2018, providing affordable studio spaces for around 40 artists and makers.
In this room is: Jacqueline Briggs
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands/
Assembly Hall
Past Life
This striking room, a double height space featuring exposed beams and beautiful ironwork, was the heart of Ross & Macbeth’s original design of the building. It was the Assembly Hall where all pupils gathered every morning in front of the rector for prayers. One rector, Donald John MacDonald (1944 – 1962), would enter from behind the velvet curtains to give his morning address. This room remained the Assembly Hall until 1961; it was turned into the school library when a building extension created a new assembly hall. Partitions were erected around the now-library to enclose the space, and to create corridors to afford access to the various rooms around it.
“It wasn’t uncommon for younger boys standing at the front to faint during “Prayers” and be carried away from the proceedings. It was also the setting for the likes of school dances and dramatic productions, with the “stage” being the open space where the two sets of stairs divided to serve the upper floor. It was at Prayers one morning in 1956 that D J MacDonald “arraigned” (his description) some senior boys for placing a false advert for an assistant janitor in the Courier which led to a queue of 70 applicants attending the school at the published time.”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Telephone interview with past pupil Professor Will Maclean.
The school’s War Memorials were also located in the Assembly Hall. The WW1 memorial – a large wooden structure with an inscription of the names of 83 soldiers who lost their lives carved into the centre, and the names of all who served painted on its outer wings – cost a substantial £300 in 1921. The Assembly Hall was home to this memorial until 1979, when it was moved to the successive Culduthel buildings.
Join our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 2 - Maths Classroom
Past Life
“Room 2, a Maths room occupied for many years by Patsy “Froggy” Forbes but latterly Eggy Forbes. Before she was given that room, Patsy was one of several “peripatetic” teachers who lived out of a bag in which they carried their worldly goods from room to room. Some new staff had to wait for years for their own premises.
Patsy, who attended a reunion as recently as 2019, is best remembered as the founder of the Country Club which was a Young Farmers’ Club within the school.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Gym Hall
Past Life
The Gymnasium Hall is an integral space of any school; this room, part of the 1913 extension, was designed with climbing bars, and ropes which folded out from the walls and locked into the floor. The Gym Hall led to changing rooms at either end, one for the boys and one for girls, and more unusually – it also featured a first floor balcony. Later, in the ‘60s it was referred to as ‘the boys’ gym’; at this point it also became the venue for the school dances!
In the renovation to create Inverness Creative Academy, Wasps first encountered this space as an ordinary looking hall with lowered ceilings, scuffed and painted floors, and various disregarded pieces of college furniture. From old photographs and some investigative help from the local heritage community, the completed renovation revealed a stunning events space, with high ceilings, exposed beams and feature lighting.
“From 1951 until he retired in 1977, this was the province of Bill Murray, Head of PE, who did a huge amount of extracurricular work in rugby and athletics but had no great liking for football which never featured in his games classes and other staff members took school teams. This gym, as boys’ (but seemingly not girls’) gyms tend to do, had a constant, horrible smell hanging about it which didn’t seem to improve after showers were installed in the adjoining changing rooms.
Bill Murray’s assistants included Alastair “Chunky” Hamilton who succeeded him in 1977 and before that, Inverness sporting legend and Freeman Colin Baillie who had the ability to strike fear into the hearts of even the boldest of Sixth Year boys.
Outside the gym in the mid 60s there used to stand a wooden cupboard where the peripatetic junior member of the Geography Department, later its Head, Robert Preece used to keep his materials. In his early years, Robert was known as “Rupert” and the senior boys used to stick Rupert The Bear cartoons on the cupboard which they also used to turn upside down.”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Interview with past pupil Christine Gilsenan talk about their memories of the dances held here.
Rent this Room
This large event space is equipped with tables, chairs and a projector. The gym hall is available to hire for conferences, meetings and exhibitions. Please get in touch with our Property Manager, Catherine MacNeil for more information: catherinemacneil@waspsstudios.org.uk
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 26 - Art Classroom
Past Life
This top floor was originally designed as one large art classroom called the ‘lower drawing room’ and has subsequently been divided into three rooms. In the photographs there is an archive image taken by Andrew Paterson when this extension opened in 1913.
Inverness College had this room set out as a lecture theatre with raked seating.
“This was where Charles J Buchanan – known to everyone as Buckie – taught Art between 1934 and 1970. Buckie had a booming voice which would often fill that upper corridor. He was a hugely popular teacher with a great interest in rugby where he helped Bill Murray quite extensively. He was often to be seen at the school field with a raincoat “glued” to his shoulder, stentoriously cheering school teams on with exhortations like “Come on PaterSON!… play up MacInTYRE!”
Buckie was also for many years the announcer at the school sports and his tones on the PA system were unmistakable.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
A short audio clip from Will Maclean (MBE, Artist & Lecturer) who attended the Junior School and then Inverness Royal Academy between the years of 1945-56 before leaving to join the Merchant Navy. Upon failing an eye test, he changed course and returned to what he was good at in school, Art & Gymnastics. He applied to be either a gym or an art teacher and his application to Art School was successful. In 1981 he was appointed lecturer at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, University of Dundee, where he remained for fifteen fruitful years, becoming Professor of Fine Art in 1994. He is now internationally renowned for his artwork and installations. Will was elected Royal Scottish Academician in 1991 and awarded an MBE in 2005 for services to Education and the Arts.
Meet the Tenants
Wasps are providers of studios and workspaces for artists, makers and creative industries and facilities for communities across Scotland. The first phase of Inverness Creative Academy opened in December 2018, providing affordable studio spaces for around 40 artists and makers.
In this room is: Nicola Gear, Rachel Fermi
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Music - practice room
Past Life
“Room 24, the small music room used mainly for listening and for small groups, including certificate music pupils.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Balcony
Past Life
This upper walkway provides an open view of the main assembly space and features detailed iron work railings. Once Phase 2 of the Wasps development is complete this area will become a public gallery space to view artwork.
“Room 14 which was at the top of the left hand divide of the stairs. From it led “The Bridge” which was a linking section across to Room 13 at the other stairhead. This was part of a one way system introduced to reduce traffic problems between periods.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Rent this Room
The upper balcony will be a gallery space, for 2D wall work, and will be available to hire. Please get in touch with our Property Manager, Catherine MacNeil for more information: catherinemacneil@waspsstudios.org.uk
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Gymnasium Balcony
Past Life
This small space was once open onto the main gym hall on the first floor, the balcony formed as viewing area and performance stage for bands during the school dance.
It later became toilets and now Wasps have removed the false ceiling and opened it up to create one of the most intriguing studio spaces.
Meet the Tenant
Wasps are providers of studios and workspaces for artists, makers and creative industries and facilities for communities across Scotland. The first phase of Inverness Creative Academy opened in December 2018, providing affordable studio spaces for around 40 artists and makers.
In this room is: David Fallows
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Art Corridor
Past Life
In the historic photograph we have from the Andrew Paterson Collection you can see that this corridor formed a gallery with marble busts on display. Within the original drawing by architect Robert Macbeth there were three light wells surrounded by railings which would have flooded the corridor downstairs with light as well as upper floor windows into the double height gym hall space. These are also visible in the historic photograph as well as one of the overhead cupolas. The three cupolas in this corridor were replaced by Wasps in 2018 as part of the regeneration work.
The corridor was adapted by Inverness College, the light wells were removed and a long room with an unusual sloping wall was included, this is now an artists studio. In 2018 Wasps introduced lift access to this corridor making more of the building accessible.
Meet the Tenant
Wasps are providers of studios and workspaces for artists, makers and creative industries and facilities for communities across Scotland. The first phase of Inverness Creative Academy opened in December 2018, providing affordable studio spaces for around 40 artists and makers.
In this room is: Sharon Scobbie
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 23 - Music Classroom
Past Life
“Room 23, the large Music room. Lawrence Rogers – known as Boosey, a reference to the music publisher rather than to drink – became Head of Music in 1941 and continued until Ian Bowman took over in the early 1960s. Boosey was no disciplinarian and tended to be run ragged by pupils. Mild mannered, thick spectacled and another eccentric, he used to cycle to school with his briefcase slung over the bar of his bike.
In the 60s, the other music teacher was Ian Seeley who used to beat out rhythms with spoons on a desk. If you didn’t pay attention, you were likely to get a “taffatiffy” on your head.
By the early 70s, when Anne MacIntyre succeeded Ian Bowman, the school’s copies of Handel’s Messiah were very well worn indeed and were supplemented by The Pirates Of Penzance.”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Meet the Tenant
Wasps are providers of studios and workspaces for artists, makers and creative industries and facilities for communities across Scotland. The first phase of Inverness Creative Academy opened in December 2018, providing affordable studio spaces for around 40 artists and makers.
In this room is: The Inverness Framing Company
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 25 - Art Classroom
Past Life
This top floor was originally designed as one large art classroom called the ‘lower drawing room’ and has subsequently been divided into three rooms. In the photographs there is an archive image taken by Andrew Paterson when this extension opened in 1913.
Meet the Tenants
Wasps are providers of studios and workspaces for artists, makers and creative industries and facilities for communities across Scotland. The first phase of Inverness Creative Academy opened in December 2018, providing affordable studio spaces for around 40 artists and makers.
In this room is: Saga Mackenzie and Evija Laivina
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 28 - Head of Art
Past Life
This room was originally for art and called the ‘higher drawing room’ on Robert Macbeth’s architectural plan. In the photographs there is an archive image taken by Andrew Paterson when this extension opened in 1913.
“Room 28 which was the Head of Art’s room, occupied between the late 1920s and the late 1960s by “Jake” Johnstone, followed by Jim Selbie.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Meet the Tenants
Wasps are providers of studios and workspaces for artists, makers and creative industries and facilities for communities across Scotland. The first phase of Inverness Creative Academy opened in December 2018, providing affordable studio spaces for around 40 artists and makers.
In this room is: John Nicolson, Sheena Mitchell
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 30 - Head of Biology
Past Life
This room was originally for art and called the ‘modeling room’ on Robert Macbeth’s architectural plan. It later became a science classroom housing the Head of Biology. The adjoining smaller classroom that Charles mentions below now housed a staircase.
“Room 30, occupied by the Head of Biology Bob Wright, known as “Bobbuck”, followed by Archie Fraser. In between 34 and 35 is a space which accommodated another very small Biology room, Room 29, the last occupant of which was Jenny MacKintosh.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Meet the Tenants
Wasps are providers of studios and workspaces for artists, makers and creative industries and facilities for communities across Scotland. The first phase of Inverness Creative Academy opened in December 2018, providing affordable studio spaces for around 40 artists and makers.
In this room is: Izzy Thomson, Yelena Visemirska, Martin Irish
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 16 - French Classroom
Past Life
“Room 16, which brings us back into the territory of characters and eccentrics. Ellis Stuart – known as “Curly”, but apparently before that, “Ginger” – was a hard taskmaster who often didn’t endear himself to his pupils, nor sometimes his colleagues.
He was highly critical of pupils’ work – but could be praiseworthy as well – and was a difficult man to please. He had a particular aversion to allowing pupils off his classes for music tuition and his idea of a treat was to allow them, on the last day of term, to read French Paris Match magazines.
He joined the staff in the mid-1930s before war service, became Head of Department in succession to Miss Jack in 1953 and retired in 1973.
He was an ardent Gaullist and when Charles de Gaulle died in 1970, he was in deep mourning. This may relate to his wartime experience which, in later life, he opened up about slightly and revealed that he had spent much of the war behind enemy lines on Secret Service duty where his mastery of French was presumably an asset.
Despite his cold exterior, this Kingussie man was very keen on shinty, founded the Schools Camanachd Association and ran school teams.“
“Curly was never a teacher to whom one ever got particularly close, and there was something of an air of mystery about him too. There had always been the perception that he had done something terribly dangerous in the War, and on odd occasions he would slip off his guard and begin to allude to this, only to check himself abruptly. It was almost quarter of a century later that he told me that he in fact spent time behind enemy lines both in France and Poland, working for a branch of MI5, so courage was not in short supply by any stretch of the imagination!
There was no doubt that Ellis Stuart was an excellent teacher who set high standards … He was a great devotee of the sport of Shinty, having co-founded the School Camanachd Association in the 1930s.”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 8 - Modern Languages
Past Life
“This small room was used for a variety of purposes, including the teaching of German, Spanish and Russian. Miss Clark was the German teacher for some years.”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 9 - French Classroom
Past Life
This room is at the centre of the front facade, there are two doors into it, this was purely to keep the floor plan symmetrical. Originally a Latin classroom with double desks and the school bell was rung from outside in the corridor.
The school bell now sits in the new Inverness Royal Academy, displayed in a case outside the Rector’s office, it was gifted by Hector Fraser to the Grammar School in 1756. In 1793 it was moved from that school to the Academy Street site, then to the Midmills site, then on to the present building after it opened.
“Room 9. For much of the school’s latter years at Midmills, Torquil MacLeod taught French here. Torquil had been Dux in the late 1950s and after he returned to teach, Curly continued to refer to him, as before, as “MacLeod”. Torquil became one of the school’s first Principal Teachers of Guidance and retired due to ill health, at the early age of 48.”
Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highland.
Room 10 - Gaelic Classroom
Past Life
This small classroom was the Gaelic Room. At Inverness Royal Academy Gaelic was only taught to native speakers, many of the pupils using this room would be from the Western Isles. Its latter occupants were teachers Lachie Dick and Duncan MacQuarrie.
Inverness Royal Academy had a far reaching impact which until the introduction of a comprehensive education system and local authority catchment areas in the 1960’s and 70’s, welcomed pupils from as far away as the islands of Barra, Uist and Harris. Many pupils boarded in Inverness and accommodation was provided in two hostels within the city (one for boys and one for girls) at Hedgefield House, Culduthel Road (named the Inverness Academy War Memorial Hostel), and also within Drummond Park House.
This meant the school had strong links with the Gaelic culture of the Highlands & Islands both through it’s students and staff.
Peggy came to the Academy in 1944 aged only 12 and a half. Her Father was the bootmaker on Raasay and you’ll hear reference to herself as ‘Peggy Shoemaker’ in this clip. She had only left Raasay once before to have her appendix removed in Broadford Hospital a few months prior to her departure. She describes her journey to Inverness as ‘difficult’. Her father was by her side and they travelled by boat, then train, it was her first ever train journey.
Some of Peggy’s brothers had attended Portree Academy, but the MOD had removed the steam boat service that took them there. Her father knew the Rector, DJ MacDonald and asked if her older brother and she may attend there. Angus went in 1939, Peggy followed and then her youngest sister a year after her.
A resident of Hedgefield Hostel, Peggy only got home a few times per year. She met her husband Andrew at the school and his mother took her under her wing. Peggy would go to his for tea sometimes after school, but to do so, she would have to ask the hostel Matron at lunch time.
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Tutorials / Navigation Classroom
Past Life
“This was a sort of cloakroom area which seemed at times to be commandeered for small tutorial groups. When WS Macdonald was Rector (1962-71) he used to take Navigation classes (he was a naval officer commanding a corvette during WW2) and some of these may well have been in there.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 11 - Head of Maths
Past Life
“Room 11, the Head of Maths’ room whose final occupant was Allan Wilson who ran the badminton club, although Leslie “Pop” Frewin may well have used it before that. Like Room 7, there was a panoramic view across the neighbouring scenery. Across the corridor from Room 11 was the Fifth Year Boys’ prefects’ room.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 15 - Head of Modern Languages
Past Life
“Room 15, a modern languages room which latterly accommodated Leonella Longmore who became Head of Modern Languages in 1973. Leo was a member of the Italian Ferrari family and was related to the Coffrinis who ran the Ness Café, regarded by some as the source of the best ice cream in Inverness.
Leo was Italian herself and taught French and Italian. In the early 60s, she was asked, as part of a school magazine article, how Scottish men compared with their Italian counterparts.
Her reply was characteristically direct – “Huh… they don’t!“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 14 - Head of Classics
Past Life
“Room 14 was used, among other subjects, for Latin by Miss Osler, Mrs Handren and occasionally David Thom the Depute Rector and Head of Classics before Ian Thomson took the subject over. It also housed a few peripatetic teachers.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 7 - Head of English
Past Life
As you walk up the front steps towards Inverness Creative Academy, the large corner rooms you can see at the front of the original building were designed for the Principal teachers. This one, on the left of the building, and affectionately known as “the peach room” by Wasps team, was occupied by the Head of English at Inverness Royal Academy.
Known as ‘Room 7’, it was occupied by Jacob “Fritz” Mowat (1944 – 1968) and later on Eddie Hutcheon from 1968, whose various activities included running football teams and being manager of the successful ‘Television Top of The Form’ team in 1970.
“Fritz was a Shetlander and had an almost impenetrable accent, which many took to be German, hence the nickname. He arrived in 1944 and later became the Head of History until the subjects parted in the early 1960s. He was extremely forgetful and quite capable of failing to turn up for a class or to appear in the wrong room. He was also prone to issuing instructions such as “You boy, at the front behind… move to the seat on the left next to the one on the right” and any girl from the Western Isles was always called “Morag”.
In the 1950s, Miss Edith Young was HM Chief Inspector of Schools for the local area and school records hint at a fawning institutional sycophancy towards a woman who was eternally deferred to and was constantly invited to attend prize givings, school dances and just about anything else where she might be humoured. One visit to the school resulted in a less than complimentary report on the English Department. Fritz’s response was to head down to the hostelries of Eastgate to drown his sorrows… before coming back up the hill, standing outside Miss Young’s house in Broadstone Park and lambasting her loud and long from her front gate!”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
A short audio clip from Dave Conner (past Inverness Royal Academy pupil) and Robert Preece (past Inverness Royal Academy Geography teacher and School Archivist) discussing their memories of Eddie Hutcheon, Head of English from 1968.
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 27 - Art Classroom
Past Life
This top floor was originally designed as one large art classroom called the ‘lower drawing room’ and has subsequently been divided into three rooms. In the photographs there is an archive image taken by Andrew Paterson when this extension opened in 1913.
“Room 27 which for many years was Gordon Harvey’s art room. Gordon, who retired from Culduthel in the early 2000s, was a renowned local artist and is best known for his genuinely iconic black and white drawing of the Midmills building under heavy snow.“
Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Meet the Tenants
Wasps are providers of studios and workspaces for artists, makers and creative industries and facilities for communities across Scotland. The first phase of Inverness Creative Academy opened in December 2018, providing affordable studio spaces for around 40 artists and makers.
In this room is: Clare Blois, Fiona Matheson, Dot Walker and Ian Whyte
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 12 - Maths Classroom
Past Life
“Room 12, a Maths room whose most regular incumbent in the 1960s was Murdo MacDonald, followed by Ian “Skeenuk” MacDonald.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands.
Room 13 - Maths Classroom
Past Life
“Room 13, also Maths and the preserve of Janet Banks who ruled with a pretty strict hand and took no nonsense. She was also a leading light in the school’s Outdoor Club.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Join Our Creative Community
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Support Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
Assemply Hall
Past Life
“It wasn’t uncommon for younger boys standing at the front to faint during “Prayers” and be carried away from the proceedings. This was the biggest space in the school until 1961 and, before the new hall, it was also the setting for the likes of school dances and dramatic productions, with the “stage” being the open space where the two sets of stairs divided to serve the upper floor. It was at Prayers one morning in 1956 that D J MacDonald “arraigned” (his description) some senior boys for placing a false advert for an assistant janitor in the Courier which led to a queue of 70 applicants attending the school at the published time.”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
This striking room, a double height space featuring exposed beams and beautiful ironwork, was the heart of Ross & Macbeth’s original design of the building. It was the Assembly Hall where all pupils gathered every morning in front of the rector for prayers. One rector, Donald John MacDonald (1944 – 1962), would enter from behind the velvet curtains to give his morning address. Click the ‘Interview’ button to hear more from past pupil Will Maclean.
This room remained the Assembly Hall until 1961; it was turned into the school library when a building extension created a new assembly hall. Partitions were erected around the now-library to enclose the space,and to create corridors to afford access to the various rooms around it.
The school’s War Memorials were also located in the Assembly Hall. The WW1 memorial – a large wooden structure with an inscription of the names of 83 soldiers who lost their lives carved into the centre, and the names of all who served painted on its outer wings – cost a substantial £300 in 1921. The Assembly Hall was home to this memorial until 1979, when it was moved to the successive Culduthel buildings.
Future Life
This room will become a bright and inspiring space for creative industries spaces to flourish.
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 1
Past Life
“The school secretaries’ office, just inside the front door. Miss McGill worked as a secretary there from 1929 until she retired in 1969. Louise Munro, well known in local drama circles, joined in 1969 and herself retired in the early 2000s.”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 2
Past Life
“The Rector’s office. In the 1970s, under Ian Fraser, an April Fool prank involved pupils navigating a goat into this sanctum sanctorum. Unfortunately the beast emptied its bowels on the royal blue Rectorial carpet.
The seven Royal Academy Rectors who ran the school from that office are – William Watson, Gilbert Watson, George Morrison, William Crampton Smith, Donald John MacDonald, William S Macdonald and Ian Fraser.
Trivia alert – the only former pupil to occupy that office was Derek McGinn, but as Rector of the then new Culloden Academy which briefly occupied the building after the Royal Academy moved out in 1979.”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 3
Past Life
“Until the now demolished 1961 extension was opened, this was the school library. This room then became Room 36 for the teaching of English”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
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Future Life
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Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 4
Past Life
“This was an English room which, until he became Head of Department and moved upstairs, was occupied by Eddie Hutcheon.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Future Life
This room will become a bright and inspiring space for creative industries spaces to flourish.
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 5
Past Life
“This was a Modern Languages room. On its rear wall there used to be a mural – I forget the detail of it apart from it possibly being in French? but it dated from the early 1960s. An audio-visual French course was pioneered here with First Year in session 1965-66.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 7
Past Life
During Midmills’ time as Inverness College this room became the reception area with a hatch that opened onto the main entrance hall. When Phase two of Wasps’ development opens to the public this will also be the main reception area.
“Room 1, a modern languages classroom. In the 1970s, Jimmy Johnstone, as Depute Rector, used to make frequent visits down Stephen’s Brae to the bank. On his return one day, when cars were relocated to the front because the back car park was a construction site, he was barked at by Maude Anderson’s dogs which she famously kept in her car all day and which were notorious for this. Jimmy proceeded to bark back… until he noticed that he was being observed from the windows by all the occupants of Room 1.
Since Maude’s Room 21 has been demolished, I must take the opportunity of a few words about one of the school’s great “worthies” and eccentrics. Maude, a conspicuously large lady, called everyone “dearie”, including the Rector. Initially she was Miss Yule who joined the staff on August 29th 1939.
Miss Yule had three aims in life – a car, a fur coat and a man and determinedly got all three in that order. The car she appeared to drive at a steady 18 mph in second gear and the man was Ian Anderson, a tradesman who had come to do a job in her house. How she managed to bag the best Science room in the place when the 1961 extension opened, no one seemed to know, and her Head of Department was relegated to the huts. This at least meant that when he saw her waddling across the back playground towards him, he was able to hide in his large cupboard.“
Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Interview
A short audio clip from Dave Conner (past Inverness Royal Academy pupil) and Robert Preece (past Inverness Royal Academy Geography teacher and now School Archivist) discussing their memories of
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Some explanatory text here blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
Future Life
This room will become a bright and inspiring space for creative industries spaces to flourish. bf iywefg fguifgiu fkuhfgvih3 gfukh3ig fbf rek er here rbf iywefg fguifgiu fkuhfgvih3 gfukh3ig fbf rek er here rbf iywefg fguifgiu fkuhfgvih3 gfukh3ig fbf rek er here rbf iywefg fguifgiu fkuhfgvih3 gfukh3ig fbf rek er here rbf iywefg fguifgiu fkuhfgvih3 gfukh3ig fbf rek er here rbf iywefg fguifgiu fkuhfgvih3 gfukh3ig fbf rek er here rbf iywefg fguifgiu fkuhfgvih3 gfukh3ig fbf rek er here r
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 9
Past Life
“Room 2, a Maths room occupied for many years by Patsy “Froggy” Forbes but latterly Eggy Forbes. Before she was given that room, Patsy was one of several “peripatetic” teachers who lived out of a bag in which they carried their worldly goods from room to room. Some new staff had to wait for years for their own premises.
Patsy, who attended a reunion as recently as 2019, is best remembered as the founder of the Country Club which was a Young Farmers’ Club within the school.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 10
Past Life
“Room 3. This was mainly a Maths room which I think had one or two occupants, including Annice “Ma” Hardie whose son David Hardie was a former Dux and prominent within Inverness musical circles.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Future Life
Interview
A short audio clip from Dave Conner (past Inverness Royal Academy pupil) and Robert Preece (past Inverness Royal Academy Geography teacher and now School Archivist) discussing their memories of
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 11
Past Life
“Room 4. This was the home of the legendary Jess Thomson who taught Latin and Greek at the school for 41 years – most, if not all of that, in the same room. Jess, a pupil since 1911, Dux in 1924 and staff member from 1931, had a brilliant intellect, to the extent of eccentricity. Her day would begin with a walk from her house on Balilfeary Road up Stephen’s Brae carrying two huge leather bags which some reckoned were used to feed horses in the Second Carthaginian War, muttering away to herself. She was prone to sudden outbursts in class, especially if someone didn’t know something and was often hear to screech “You are the creeeeam of the community…. and you know NOTHING!”
Also highly committed to enforcing the traffic regulations, she frequently mistook young teachers for pupils and sent them back.
In the early days Room 4 looked straight out on to the hall which was used for music teaching so sometimes had a piano. Jess used to tend lovingly a flower in a vase on the piano… until someone cut the head off it. Jess went berserk and ordered the Rector to institute an intensive investigation.
When George VI died in 1952, Jess wore purple which, apparently, was the Roman colour of mourning.
Her retiral speech in 1972 was a matter of staff room folklore for decades to come.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 15
Past Life
“Room 19, which was the Head of Chemistry’s room. It was occupied from the 1930s until 1968, when he retired, by Tom “Tomuck” Fraser who had been Head of Science until the subjects split in the 60s, whereupon he became Head of Chemistry. “Talk less, learn more” was one of the mantras of this somewhat absent minded Session Clerk of Ness Bank Church.
Another occasional occupant was Miss Taylor, known universally as “Parrot” who had joined the staff in 1921 and, despite a tiny stature which obliged her to stand on a box to belt boys, had a fearsome temper.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Future Life
This room will become a bright and inspiring space for creative industries spaces to flourish.
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
This large workshop space is equipped with tables, chairs, easels and two sinks. The workshop is available to hire for meetings or art classes. Please get in touch with our Property Manager, Catherine MacNeil for more information: catherinemacneil@waspsstudios.org.uk
01463 572 753
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 14
Past Life
“Room 18 was another Chemistry lab. Its occupant for many years was another alliteratively nicknamed staff member – ‘Hairy Hugh’ MacDonald. Hugh could sometimes get a bit confused himself, especially when new methods of naming organic compounds were introduced in the late 1960s. On one occasion a demonstration experiment went badly wrong and when somebody laughed Hugh, who had a heart condition, went crimson and totally apoplectic, invoking serious concern for his health.”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Inverness College was based at Midmills for over 30 years, before moving to its new site at Inverness Campus in August 2015. One of the college’s legacies in the building is the darkroom.
“The new Inverness Darkroom sits almost on the same spot as the first ever ‘teaching’ darkroom in the Highlands, which was created in 1948 by Fred Hardley when it was occupied by Inverness Royal Academy. In turn the Inverness College art department created a modern darkroom in the building around 2003. So, the current darkroom is the 3rd to be built, and we are carrying on a now long established photographic tradition!
It is fitting that Wasps’ Inverness Creative Academy now hosts working artists, a dedicated community of photographers and students from the UHI – carrying on the creative enterprise begun by Fred Hardley in 1948.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Future Life
Meet the Tenant
Wasps are providers of studios and workspaces for artists, makers and creative industries and facilities for communities across Scotland. The first phase of Inverness Creative Academy opened in December 2018, providing affordable studio spaces for around 40 artists and makers.
The Inverness Darkroom opened in February 2019 at Inverness Creative Academy and is a community workspace with 8 enlargers and black & white film processing facilities. They run regular workshops and membership of the darkroom is affordable and flexible with options to pay monthly, quarterly or annually.
www.theinvernessdarkroom.org.uk
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 13B
In 1913, the Inverness Royal Academy building was substantially extended with the construction of a new building for the increasingly popular science and art subjects for which the school was becoming renowned. This building was designed by Robert Macbeth and was completed after his death in 1912. This room was originally designed as one large science lab – a key requirement at the time. You can see archive photographs of this space taken by local photographer Andrew Paterson in ‘More Photography’. The room is now divided into two spaces.
Past Life
“Room 17, a Chemistry lab which had various occupants over the years. It was the epicentre of the Chemistry Department’s contribution to a big Science Fair which was held in 1966. Its last occupant was Margaret Murray who was a pioneer Principal Teacher of Guidance in the 1970s.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Future Life
Meet the Tenant
Wasps are providers of studios and workspaces for artists, makers and creative industries and facilities for communities across Scotland. The first phase of Inverness Creative Academy opened in December 2018, providing affordable studio spaces for around 40 artists and makers.
In these rooms is:
Art Department from Inverness College UHI
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 13A
Past Life
“Outside Room 17 was a radiator whose valve someone once managed to loosen and remove during one morning interval, sending an unstoppable torrent of hot water for yards down the corridor.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
“For many years after the Royal Academy moved out, the staircase still had studs on the bannister to prevent anyone sliding down it.”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Future Life
This room will become a bright and inspiring space for creative industries spaces to flourish.
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Gym Hall
Gymnasium (1913, Arts and Science Extension)
The Gymnasium Hall is an integral space of any school; this room, part of the 1913 extension, was designed with climbing bars, and ropes which folded out from the walls and locked into the floor. The Gym Hall led to changing rooms at either end, one for the boys and one for girls, and more unusually – it also featured a first floor balcony.
Past Life
Later, in the ‘60sit was referred to as ‘the boys’ gym’; at this point it also became the venue for the school dances! Click ‘Interview’ to hear past pupils Peggy Mackintosh and Christine Gilsenan talk about their memories of the dances held here.
In the renovation to create Inverness Creative Academy, Wasps first encountered this space as an ordinary looking hall with lowered ceilings, scuffed and painted floors, and various disregarded pieces of college furniture. From old photographs, which you can see by clicking ‘More Photographs’, and some investigative help from the local heritage community, the completed renovation revealed a stunning events space, with high ceilings, exposed beams and feature lighting.
“From 1951 until he retired in 1977, this was the province of Bill Murray, Head of PE, who did a huge amount of extracurricular work in rugby and athletics but had no great liking for football which never featured in his games classes and other staff members took school teams. This gym, as boys’ (but seemingly not girls’) gyms tend to do, had a constant, horrible smell hanging about it which didn’t seem to improve after showers were installed in the adjoining changing rooms.
Bill Murray’s assistants included Alastair “Chunky” Hamilton who succeeded him in 1977 and before that, Inverness sporting legend and Freeman Colin Baillie who had the ability to strike fear into the hearts of even the boldest of Sixth Year boys.
Outside the gym in the mid 60s there used to stand a wooden cupboard where the peripatetic junior member of the Geography Department, later its Head, Robert Preece used to keep his materials. In his early years, Robert was known as “Rupert” and the senior boys used to stick Rupert The Bear cartoons on the cupboard which they also used to turn upside down.”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Future Life
Interview 1 (audio)
A short audio clip from Peggy Mackintosh (known as Peggy MacLeod in school) from the Isle of Raasay near Skye. Her Father was the bootmaker on Raasay and you’ll hear reference to herself as ‘Peggy Shoemaker’ in this clip.
Peggy came to the Academy in 1944 aged only 12 and a half. She had only left Raasay once before to have her appendix removed in Broadford Hospital a few months prior to her departure. She describes her journey to Inverness as ‘difficult’. Her father was by her side and they travelled by boat, then train, it was her first ever train journey.
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 16
Past Life
“Room 20, a Physics room occupied by shinty legend John Willie Campbell and then Ian MacLean who was always known as Fred due to an alleged resemblance to Fred Flintstone. One of Fred’s teaching methodologies was to set his pupils written problems and to glower at them from his desk in the corner whilst marking homework jotters.
In between Rooms 19 and 20, now apparently a stairwell, was a science preparation room where, during the last period before lunch, Fred would set up a pan of tatties on tripod stand and boil them using a Bunsen burner.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Meet the Tenant
Wasps are providers of studios and workspaces for artists, makers and creative industries and facilities for communities across Scotland. The first phase of Inverness Creative Academy opened in December 2018, providing affordable studio spaces for around 40 artists and makers.
In this room is:
Jacqueline Briggs (insert link)
https://www.waspsstudios.org.uk/creatives/jacqueline-briggs/
Yelena Visemirska (insert link)
https://www.waspsstudios.org.uk/creatives/yelena-visemirska/
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 18B
Past Life
“Room 14 was used, among other subjects, for Latin by Miss Osler, Mrs Handren and occasionally David Thom the Depute Rector and Head of Classics before Ian Thomson took the subject over. It also housed a few peripatetic teachers.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 19
Past Life
“Room 15, a modern languages room which latterly accommodated Leonella Longmore who became Head of Modern Languages in 1973. Leo was a member of the Italian Ferrari family and was related to the Coffrinis who ran the Ness Café, regarded by some as the source of the best ice cream in Inverness.
Leo was Italian herself and taught French and Italian. In the early 60s, she was asked, as part of a school magazine article, how Scottish men compared with their Italian counterparts.
Her reply was characteristically direct – “Huh… they don’t!“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 20
Past Life
“Room 16, which brings us back into the territory of characters and eccentrics. Ellis Stuart – known as “Curly”, but apparently before that, “Ginger” – was a hard taskmaster who often didn’t endear himself to his pupils, nor sometimes his colleagues.
He was highly critical of pupils’ work – but could be praiseworthy as well – and was a difficult man to please. He had a particular aversion to allowing pupils off his classes for music tuition and his idea of a treat was to allow them, on the last day of term, to read French Paris Match magazines.
He joined the staff in the mid-1930s before war service, became Head of Department in succession to Miss Jack in 1953 and retired in 1973.
He was an ardent Gaullist and when Charles de Gaulle died in 1970, he was in deep mourning. This may relate to his wartime experience which, in later life, he opened up about slightly and revealed that he had spent much of the war behind enemy lines on Secret Service duty where his mastery of French was presumably an asset.
Despite his cold exterior, this Kingussie man was very keen on shinty, founded the Schools Camanachd Association and ran school teams.“
“Curly was never a teacher to whom one ever got particularly close, and there was something of an air of mystery about him too. There had always been the perception that he had done something terribly dangerous in the War, and on odd occasions he would slip off his guard and begin to allude to this, only to check himself abruptly. It was almost quarter of a century later that he told me that he in fact spent time behind enemy lines both in France and Poland, working for a branch of MI5, so courage was not in short supply by any stretch of the imagination!
There was no doubt that Ellis Stuart was an excellent teacher who set high standards … He was a great devotee of the sport of Shinty, having co-founded the School Camanachd Association in the 1930s.”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Future Life
This room will become a bright and inspiring space for creative industries spaces to flourish.
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Peach Room
As you walk up the front steps towards Inverness Creative Academy, the large corner rooms you can see at the front of the original building were designed for the Principal teachers. This one, on the left of the building, and affectionately known as “the peach room” by Wasps team, was occupied by the Head of English at Inverness Royal Academy.
Known as ‘Room 7’, it was occupied by Jacob “Fritz” Mowat (1944 – 1968) and later on Eddie Hutcheon from 1968, whose various activities included running football teams and being manager of the successful ‘Television Top of The Form’ team in 1970. Click ‘Interview’ to hear Inverness Royal Academy past pupil Dave Conner and former teacher Robert Preece talk more about Eddie.
Past Life
“Fritz was a Shetlander and had an almost impenetrable accent, which many took to be German, hence the nickname. He arrived in 1944 and later became the Head of History until the subjects parted in the early 1960s. He was extremely forgetful and quite capable of failing to turn up for a class or to appear in the wrong room. He was also prone to issuing instructions such as “You boy, at the front behind… move to the seat on the left next to the one on the right” and any girl from the Western Isles was always called “Morag”.
In the 1950s, Miss Edith Young was HM Chief Inspector of Schools for the local area and school records hint at a fawning institutional sycophancy towards a woman who was eternally deferred to and was constantly invited to attend prize givings, school dances and just about anything else where she might be humoured. One visit to the school resulted in a less than complimentary report on the English Department. Fritz’s response was to head down to the hostelries of Eastgate to drown his sorrows… before coming back up the hill, standing outside Miss Young’s house in Broadstone Park and lambasting her loud and long from her front gate!”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Future Life
Interview
A short audio clip from Dave Conner (past Inverness Royal Academy pupil) and Robert Preece (past Inverness Royal Academy Geography teacher and School Archivist) discussing their memories of
Eddie Hutcheon, Head of English from 1968.
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 22
Past Life
“Room 8. This small room was used for a variety of purposes, including the teaching of German, Spanish and Russian. Miss Clark was the German teacher for some years.”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 23
Past Life
“Room 8. This small room was used for a variety of purposes, including the teaching of German, Spanish and Russian. Miss Clark was the German teacher for some years.”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 24
Past Life
This small classroom was the Gaelic Room. At Inverness Royal Academy Gaelic was only taught to native speakers, many of the pupils using this room would be from the Western Isles.
Inverness Royal Academy had a far reaching impact which until the introduction of a comprehensive education system and local authority catchment areas in the 1960’s and 70’s, welcomed pupils from as far away as the islands of Barra, Uist and Harris. Many pupils boarded in Inverness and accommodation was provided in two hostels within the city (one for boys and one for girls) at Hedgefield House, Culduthel Road (named the Inverness Academy War Memorial Hostel), and also within Drummond Park House.
This meant the school had strong links with the Gaelic culture of the Highlands & Islands both through it’s students and staff. See the short Interview from Peggy Mackintosh (known as Peggy MacLeod in school) from the Isle of Raasay near Skye.
“Room 10. Its latter occupants were teachers Lachie Dick and Duncan MacQuarrie.”
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Interview
Peggy came to the Academy in 1944 aged only 12 and a half. Her Father was the bootmaker on Raasay and you’ll hear reference to herself as ‘Peggy Shoemaker’ in this clip. She had only left Raasay once before to have her appendix removed in Broadford Hospital a few months prior to her departure. She describes her journey to Inverness as ‘difficult’. Her father was by her side and they travelled by boat, then train, it was her first ever train journey.
Some of Peggy’s brothers had attended Portree Academy, but the MOD had removed the steam boat service that took them there. Her father knew the Rector, DJ MacDonald and asked if her older brother and she may attend there. Angus went in 1939, Peggy followed and then her youngest sister a year after her.
A resident of Hedgefield Hostel, Peggy only got home a few times per year. She met her husband Andrew at the school and his mother took her under her wing. Peggy would go to his for tea sometimes after school, but to do so, she would have to ask the hostel Matron at lunch time.
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 25
Past Life
“Room 11, the Head of Maths’ room whose final occupant was Allan Wilson who ran the badminton club, although Leslie “Pop” Frewin may well have used it before that. Like Room 7, there was a panoramic view across the neighbouring scenery. Across the corridor from Room 11 was the Fifth Year Boys’ prefects’ room.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Future Life
This room will become a bright and inspiring space for creative industries spaces to flourish.
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 26
Past Life
“This was a sort of cloakroom area which seemed at times to be commandeered for small tutorial groups. When WS Macdonald was Rector (1962-71) he used to take Navigation classes (he was a naval officer commanding a corvette during WW2) and some of these may well have been in there.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 27
Past Life
“Room 12, a Maths room whose most regular incumbent in the 1960s was Murdo MacDonald, followed by Ian “Skeenuk” MacDonald.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 28
Past Life
“Room 13, also Maths and the preserve of Janet Banks who ruled with a pretty strict hand and took no nonsense. She was also a leading light in the school’s Outdoor Club.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Balcony
This upper walkway provides an open view of the main assembly space and features detailed iron work railings. Once Phase 2 of the Wasps development is complete this area will become a public gallery space to view artwork.
Past Life
“Room 14 which was at the top of the left hand divide of the stairs. From it led “The Bridge” which was a linking section across to Room 13 at the other stairhead. This was part of a one way system introduced to reduce traffic problems between periods.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Future Life
This room will become a bright and inspiring space for creative industries spaces to flourish.
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inverness Creative Academy will provide 54 workspaces for creative industries and creative social enterprises, along with a public café and gallery/exhibition space. We are not taking formal applications at the moment, however, if you are interested in renting a space with us, we can add your details to our register of interest. Once we announce the application process, those who have registered interest will be the first to hear.
Sponsor Us
Help us to deliver the largest creative hub in the Highlands! By becoming a supporter of Inverness Creative Academy you will invest in the future of Midmills, the city and the wider Highlands:
- Retaining and attracting talent in the region
- Creating a vibrant city centre where people want to live, work and socialise
- Supporting Scotland’s best new artists in a collaborative, inspiring new home
You can help to support Wasps in Inverness throughout the year; to talk about the benefits of working with Wasps to deliver this project, please contact Claire on 07834 116 381 claire@waspsstudios.org.uk
Room 29
Past Life
Interview
A short audio clip from Dave Conner (past Inverness Royal Academy pupil) and Robert Preece (past Inverness Royal Academy Geography teacher and now School Archivist) discussing their memories of
Meet the Tenant
Wasps are providers of studios and workspaces for artists, makers and creative industries and facilities for communities across Scotland. The first phase of Inverness Creative Academy opened in December 2018, providing affordable studio spaces for around 40 artists and makers.
In this room is: Code Clan (insert link) https://codeclan.com/campuses/highlands/
“Room 23, the large Music room. Lawrence Rogers – known as Boosey, a reference to the music publisher rather than to drink – became Head of Music in 1941 and continued until Ian Bowman took over in the early 1960s. Boosey was no disciplinarian and tended to be run ragged by pupils. Mild mannered, thick spectacled and another eccentric, he used to cycle to school with his briefcase slung over the bar of his bike.
In the 60s, the other music teacher was Ian Seeley who used to beat out rhythms with spoons on a desk. If you didn’t pay attention, you were likely to get a “taffatiffy” on your head.
By the early 70s, when Anne MacIntyre succeeded Ian Bowman, the school’s copies of Handel’s Messiah were very well worn indeed and were supplemented by The Pirates Of Penzance.“
– Charles Bannerman, Inverness Royal Academy pupil from 1965-71
Rent this Room
Creative or cultural business? Phase 2 of Inve