Past Times

GALLERY: Hitting the books with St Margaret’s School for Girls

1994 - Helen Milbank, Tamsin Lishman, Florence Coupaud and Merewyn Loder celebrate landing places at Oxford.

By Kirstin Brown

November 13 2022, 6:00 am

November 13 2022, 6:00 am

St Margaret’s School for Girls was founded way back in 1846, producing generations of bright, well-educated young women.

The Aberdeen school is the oldest all-girls school in Scotland and has been encouraging girls and women to strive for 175 years. To celebrate the school’s impact on Aberdeen, we’ve collated 13 photos of the school and its pupils from over the years

Do you have any memories of St Margaret’s School for Girls? Do you recognise any of the girls in the photos below? Let us know in the comments.

A large group of girls cheering — 1987 – A downpour didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the competitors of Dunnottar House at sports day.

A girl with a flute smiles at the camera while a group of girls stand on the wall behind her with their hands in the air. — 1986 – Julie Freeland, who was playing the title role in The Piper of Hamelin musical, is leading the way for other cast members.

Girls with jump ropes stand next to a man handing holding up a cheque — 1987 – Josephine Watson presents a cheque for £581.78 raised through a sponsored Jump Rope Campaign to the chairman of Aberdeen Committee of the British Heart Foundation Alex Chalmers.

Six girls smile at the camera while one is handed a train ticket by a man — 1987 – Helen McElhinney receives rail tickets to Edinburgh, so schoolmates, from left, Sharon Banks, Jane McKay, Kirstie Gray, Jennifer Lauchlan and Jane Higgins can take part in a sponsored run for Cancer Relief. Handing over the tickets is Donald Macpherson of British Rail.

A girl taking part in a hurdle race, she is in the lead. — 1987 – Shrugging off torrential rain to win the 75m hurdles is Maia Beattie.

St Margaret's school for girls students in costumes for their production of Anne of Green Gables — 1990 – Sara Philip, left, who was playing the leading role in the St Margaret’s School production of Anne of Green Gables, with fellow actors Kirsten Jamieson, centre, as Matthew, and Xanthe McKilligan as Marila.

Girls racing with eggs on spoons at St Margaret's school for girls sports day — 1988 – Sheena Henderson and Alex Hay have a great laugh in the egg and spoon race sports day.

Five girls holding their instruments smiling at the camera — 1990 – From left, Sheena Henderson, violin; Jennifer Campbell and Josephine Watson, French horns; Hazel Dargie, violin; and, front, Lesley Henderson, cello.

St Margaret's school for girls students posing in costume for their production of My Daughter Coppelia — 1985 – The cast of My Daughter Coppelia, a musical being staged by pupils of primaries 5, 6 and 7.

Five students holding tins of biscuits — 1987 – Sixth-year pupils who took part in a fast for Africa, from left, Louise Whyte, Isla Hutton, Catriona Campbell, Niki Donald and Kathryn Twinn.

Two pupils smiling at the camera, the girl closest to the camera holds up a globe — 1992 – Sixth-year pupils Sarah Knowles, right, and Jennifer Campbell look at where they will be going when they tackle their year-long Third World challenge with the Project Trust.

St Margaret's school for girls pupils skipping down Union Street arm-in-arm in costume for their production of the Wizard of Oz. — 1989 – Pupils who were staging the Wizard of Oz surprise passers-by on Union Street.

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