Newbattle Abbey College is delighted to welcome Battlefield Band to our historic surroundings for a weekend of superb traditional music. Newbattle has a rich tradition of celebrating Scottish culture in its heritage site. Writers, poets and historians have worked and studied in our beautiful building. More details of Newbattle Abbey and its 125 acre site are available at www.newbattleabbeycollege.ac.uk. We are proud to host this celebration of traditional music in our unique surroundings. We hope that people of all ages will enjoy a weekend of traditional music, workshops and informal sessions, led by the internationally acclaimed Battlefield Band.

Battlefield Band event flyer

Battlefield Band flyer

On Friday, 27 November, Newbattle Abbey College held a St Andrew’s Day Ceilidh, welcoming over 80 guests to the historic building for an evening of traditional music, dance, song and, of course, haggis.

Students, staff and stakeholders danced to the music of a community ceilidh band, organised by Depute Principal, Marian Docherty. The 12-piece band includes Newbattle students and staff, Midlothian Council staff, Edinburgh primary schools and friends of the college. Guests also enjoyed performances by Newbattle Abbey College’s ‘Rough and Ready Choir’, again involving the college and community partners, readings by two local poets, and solo singing talents of vocalists both young and old.

  
Newbattle Abbey College Domestic Assistant, Craig Robertson, donned a full tartan outfit on the evening, gifted to the College by a local film company as a thank you for allowing them to use the College’s grounds for filming. The tartan is that of the Kerr family and the full outfit will be on display within the College.

Principal of Newbattle Abbey College, Ann Southwood, said: “The ceilidh was an excellent opportunity for staff, students and friends of the college to come together for a night of celebration. The evening was an astounding success and I would like to thank everyone who took part and helped to organise the event. In particular I would like to acknowledge the work of Marian Docherty, who organised the ceilidh band and poetic readings. Marian also set up the Rough and Ready Choir who were excellent on the evening.”

The ceilidh also launched Newbattle’s Pan Celtic Programme, which builds on the College’s rich tradition of promoting Scottish culture within a heritage site. The programme is designed to promote traditional music, local history, story telling, creative writing, Celtic crafts, woodland education and genealogy for people of all ages. Several events are planned for 2010, including a Pan Celtic Festival on Saturday May 29, a celebration of Midlothian Gala Days, and a short course programme in a range of Celtic themes. Full details of the Pan Celtic Programme will be available early in 2010.

Scotland’s Colleges have had their Annual Award ceremony for 2009 during which they presented Newbattle Abbey College with one of their prestigious awards. The College received the Award for Professional Learning and Ehancement.

 Newbattle  Abbey College Launches Open Learning  

Newbattle Abbey College in Dalkeith has launched their SQA-validated Arts and Humanities Award on a part-time Open Learning basis for the first time. The course, which was previously only available to study over a one-year full-time basis, began at the end of October and last weekend the College welcomed their first cohort of Open Learning students.

The Open Learning course incorporates face-to-face classroom learning with online distance learning on a part-time basis over two years. Ten students have signed up for the new course, which was made possible after the College received a grant from the Scottish Funding Council and support from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) Regional Support Centre (RSC) Scotland North and East.

Last weekend the Open Learning students attended an introductory week at Newbattle Abbey College. This gave individuals the opportunity to meet fellow class-mates, College staff and learn how to use the on-line teaching software. One student taking part in the Open Learning course is 52 year old Catherine Morgan from Tranent, East Lothian.

Catherine left school at the age of 16 taking up full-time employment as a clerical assistant. After having her two daughters, now 14 and 19, Catherine reduced her hours to part-time and began working in retail. Catherine said: “I enjoyed working part-time when my girls were growing up but when my eldest daughter enrolled at university last year, I started to think about returning to education myself. With my husband working full-time and my younger daughter in school, I was getting fed up of rattling around the house on my own and was keen to further my own education.

“I saw an advert for Newbattle Abbey College in the paper and was instantly attracted to the idea of an Open Learning course combining face-to-face learning with online learning. I liked the sound of the subjects we would study including history, literature and communication, and the fact it was giving adults a second chance at education. The flexibility of the course also appealed to me as it would allow me to continue working part-time.

“Since beginning the course at the end of October, I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I have met some lovely people and received a lot of support from my study skills teacher. I also greatly enjoyed the recent residential weekend at Newbattle, the college is beautiful and the staff are so enthusiastic. It’s like being part of a big family!”

For further information on studying at the College, either on a full-time or Open Learning basis, please call 0131 663 1921 or e-mail office@newbattleabbeycollege.ac.uk

24 September 2009

Newbattle Abbey College has appointed former St David’s High School head teacher Marian Docherty its new depute principal.

Ms Docherty, pictured, has worked with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in the further education/community education team and had national responsibility for adult education, adult guidance and flexible learning.

She then became head teacher at St Thomas of Aquin’s High School in Edinburgh before taking up her most recent post as head teacher at St David’s in Dalkeith.

Ms Docherty, who studied English and Italian at the University of Edinburgh before training to be a teacher at Craiglockhart College said “I have always admired Newbattle Abbey College and valued its history and achievements.

“St David’s High School’s recent partnership with the college renewed that interest.

“Together we set up an online language course for Polish parents to learn English. I am delighted to have been appointed to this post and look forward to developing further productive links with a range of partners.”

College principal Ann Southwood, said: “We look forward to working with Marian, whose wealth of experience will be of great benefit to the college. On behalf of the Newbattle Team, I extend a warm welcome to our new colleague.”

Other relevant press releases:

New Depute Principal for Newbattle Abbey Colleg (Edinburgh Evening News 14/09/09)

Newbattle Abbey College appoint new Depute Principal (TESS 25/09/09)

Anna Hepburn as Mary, Queen of Scots

On 29 August visitors, both local and as far away as the Island of Iona, experienced the past coming to life at the Newbattle Abbey Storytelling Festival.  Scottish and local culture and history were celebrated through the art of storytelling in an exciting programme of events.  Newbattle Abbey has long played a pivotal, if little known, role in Scottish history and the Festival started with an introductory tour of Newbattle Abbey house.  Resident storyteller Rae McGhee, dressed as Lady Victoria Kerr, took everyone on a journey of nine centuries of exciting history in one hour. 

Donald Smith and Alette Willis led visitors on a storywalk around the Abbey grounds where they listened to many stories about the 18^th century ice-house, medieval mining, the ancient woodland and discovery of mass graves. 

Donald Smith enchants visitors on the Storywalk

Newbattle is not only associated with stories but also storytellers.  Catrina McGillivary recounted to a very avid audience the College’s connections with writers, poets and dramatists such as Edwin Muir, George Mackay Brown, W S Graham, Tom Scott and Bill Findlay.  Anna Hepburn delivered a resounding performance on the life of Mary, Queen of Scots in the Chapel.  Bea Ferguson hosted an inspiring workshop on an Introduction to Live Storytelling and Storytelling Skills.  One visitor lamented that one hour with Bea just simply was not long enough!!  Dr Neil Hargraves finished the day off with a tour de force lecture on Royal and significant events at Newbattle down the centuries such as the drafting of the Declaration of Arbroath and the story of the Solemn League and Covenant. 

In the evening, visitors gathered around the fireplace in the medieval Crypt and shared their own stories far into the night. The Festival was an ideal opportunity for people to sample the College’s part-time Contemporary Storytelling Course. For further information on the course contact Newbattle Abbey on 0131 663 1921; e-mail:

office@newbattleabbeycollege.ac.uk; www.newbattleabbeycollege.ac.uk.

• The ghost of the White Monk whose spirit cannot move on into the afterlife and why he wanders through the woods and along the riverbank endlessly searching and searching ……. 
• Why a former Army officer stationed at the Abbey during World War 2 return 54 years later to try and solve a paranormal experience in the Drawing Room? 
• What connection does Newbattle have to the 19^th century body snatchers? 
• How witchcraft was blamed for the mysterious deaths of local members of the gentry. 
• Who was the local legend Camp Meg and how did she come to Newbattle?

 All proceeds for this event were donated to Marie Curie via Jackie’s four day trek through the Jordon Desert in April next year.

View to our Italian Garden

Newbattle Abbey College took part in Midlothian’s exciting programme of events on 12 September.  Doors opened to very interested visitors at 10.00 am.  Guided tours of the house were led throughout the day by our very knowledgeable tour guides Jennifer, Norman, Steve and Stuart.  New visitors learned about Newbattle Abbey’s story which spans more than 9 centuries and discovered the links to Mary Queen of Scots, the Declaration of Arbroath, the Spanish Armada and much more.

Andy Matthews, our Woodland Warden, was on hand to help with the self-guided tour of Lord Ancrum’s Wood and the surrounding area.  Children and adults alike had fun seeking out the Monk’s cell, the Ice House and the site of where a 500 year old tree stood until recently. 

After all that, many of our 320 visitors took a well deserved rest and relaxed with a cup of something in our Dining Room.

The large Sycamore which stood in front of the College had been a significant feature of Newbattle for centuries. The tree when measured in 1904 was 95 feet high, with a girth of 16 feet. It was 18 feet round but had been dying back at the top for a decade or so.

The Sycamore had witnessed the destruction of the Cistercian Abbey during the Reformation. It had been there when the house was built on the Abbey site in the 16^th century and it may have been a significant feature of the estate when Cromwell and his troops invaded Scotland. Perhaps Cromwell tied his horse to the tree; he was certainly active within the area.

On May 11th 2006 at 5pm, a freak gust of wind from the north blew across the College campus scattering bright pink cherry blossom all around the grounds. Suddenly, a loud crack was heard and the 500 year old tree slowly fell, straight across the drive, missing all of the cars in the car park and resting finally between the last two lampposts located in the driveway.

Everyone who witnessed the fall commented on the trees elegance and grace during its final few minutes. Staff and students had just finished work for the day and many were preparing to leave the College building just as the tree fell, yet no one was injured. Now, 3 years later, on Thursday 30^th July 2009, the last remnants of the Sycamore have been removed.

In a few months time, when grass covers the site, there will be no trace of the great Sycamore tree. It will always remain in the memory of those who saw it fall among the pink cherry blossom of that strange day.

Following lunch at the Abbey, the tour resumes at the Scottish Mining Museum, housed in the wonderfully restored Lady Victoria Colliery. Opened in the 1890s the “Lady Vic” became renowned as one of the first Scottish ’super pits’ and a showpiece for the industry. Today the A-listed complex is recognised as one of the finest surviving examples of a Victorian colliery in Europe, and is home to the extensive collections of the Scottish Mining Museum. Now a five star visitor attraction, the museum tells the story of coal for Scotland through two floors of exhibitions – A Race Apart and The Story of Coal – Magic Helmet tour, recreated underground roadway and coalface, the largest winding engine in Scotland and the Big Stuff – Massive Mining Machinery tour.

The Scottish Mining Museum and Newbattle Abbey in Midlothian have joined forces to tailor a fantastic full day tour aimed specifically at the groups market. Your journey into the past begins with a visit to enigmatic Newbattle Abbey College where Cistercian monks mined possibly the first coal in Scotland in the 12th century. Here, visitors will learn about the Abbey’s many links to Scotland’s past including the Declaration of Arbroath, Mary Queen of Scots, the Knights Templar and how the development of this ancient house came to be responsible for the Lady Victoria pit which is now the Scottish Mining Museum.

Following lunch at the Abbey, the tour resumes at the Scottish Mining Museum, housed in the wonderfully restored Lady Victoria Colliery. Opened in the 1890s the “Lady Vic” became renowned as one of the first Scottish ’super pits’ and a showpiece for the industry. Today the A-listed complex is recognised as one of the finest surviving examples of a Victorian colliery in Europe, and is home to the extensive collections of the Scottish Mining Museum. Now a five star visitor attraction, the museum tells the story of coal for Scotland through two floors of exhibitions – A Race Apart and The Story of Coal – Magic Helmet tour, recreated underground roadway and coalface, the largest winding engine in Scotland and the Big Stuff – Massive Mining Machinery tour.

For further information or to make a booking please contact Rae McGhee (Newbattle Abbey) on 0131 663 1921 or Gillian Rankin (Scottish Mining Museum) on 0131 663 7519.For further information or to make a booking please contact Rae McGhee (Newbattle Abbey) on 0131 663 1921 or Gillian Rankin (Scottish Mining Museum) on 0131 663 7519.