St Columba's College, Largs
St Columba's College was an independent, preparatory Marist college at Landour House, 118 Greenock Road, Largs , Ayrshire (the neighbouring house, Northfield was purchased about 5 or 6 years before the school closed). It served as a (boarding and fee-paying) prep school feeder for Catholic boarding schools throughout the United Kingdom with links to St. Joseph's College, Dumfries and Ampleforth. It closed in 1982.
History
St Columba's College was an independent, preparatory college founded by the Marist Brothers in 1920. The school was small, with total numbers never being above 40 to 45 boys. Landour House had originally been purchased as a holiday home for the Marist Brothers. It served as a (boarding and fee-paying) preparatory school feeder for Catholic boarding schools throughout the United Kingdom with links to St. Joseph's College, Dumfries and Ampleforth College. A number of local day boys would travel to Glasgow daily to continue their education after leaving, typically attending St. Mungo's Academy or St. Aloysius' College. Emphasis was on religious instruction and character building. There was much insistence on discipline, which was very strict. Achievement and academic standards were high.
There were various headmasters in charge including Brother Ralph (in the early 1960s) who was followed by Brother Germanus (who later became David Germanus) then Brother Nicholas (who later left the Brothers to get married) who is mentioned as part of a 'holy fourball' of golfers (given his golfing skills) on pages 9 and 15 of "Sam" the autiobiography of Sam Torrance, the famous golfer and team captain for Europe in the Ryder Cup in 2002. Sam was a member, as was his father the Club Professional, of Routenburn Golf Club, situated above and adjacent to the school. The various headmasters kept up the wonderful traditions of devotion to the Marist cause for the love of the Blessed Virgin,Mary, whose statute was to be found on the steep upwards walkway towards the golf course and hills above Largs. All the Brothers, one must remember, sacrificed all or a large portion of their lives to the education of Scottish & other youngsters and for that they deserve great credit.These included Brothers Charles, Daniel, Douglas, Philip, James and Nilus.
Campus
The original school building named "Landour" was a category B listed building built in the 1830s , which has since been demolished and a housing estate has been built in the grounds together with the grounds of the neighbouring Northfield House. Northfield was purchased by the school in the mid-1970s and was converted into flats when Landour was demolished and the grounds of the two houses developed for housing. The school building's name "Landour" was lost with the closure of the school, as this is not commemorated in any way in the modern development off Northfields Drive, which takes its name from Northfield. The school playing fields were lost to developers prior to the final closure of the school and a number of houses were built on the pitches and are accessed via a road built on the route of the original vehicle gateway from Boathouse Drive. An original cottage, which was used as the Matron's accommodation for a time, beside the site of the old boathouse which gives its name to Boathouse Drive, is all that remains of any of the original buildings in use for the majority of the school's existence.
Former headmasters
- Br. Urban
- Br. Cyprian Edwards (1957-)
- Br. Ralph
- Br. Germanus (later David Germanus)
- Br. Nicholas
- Br. Arthur
References
External links
- 124 Greenock Road St Columba's College (formerly Northfield), Largs - British Listed Buildings
- Boyd, William; Strawhorn, John (1951). "Ayrshire", Issue 1 of Statistical account of Scotland third series, Volume 1 of The third statistical account of Scotland. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd. p. 374.