Over 90 years of history
School History
On 17th January 1930 in Fife, five young boys (Alexander, Duke, Grace, Harrison and Price) wearing short trousers, caps and red and grey striped ties, were handed over by their trusting parents to the care of Mr Nock, and the Lathallan School story began.
Lathallan today is changed almost beyond recognition from those early days, but is still proud of having survived for almost a century with its ethos and values intact – and as proof of that you may be aware it was recently declared “Best Small Independent School in the UK”.
Lathallan School was originally located next to Lathallan Farm just south of the hamlet of Largoward in Fife. However, following a fire in the early hours of 2nd September 1949 the school with 74 boys, moved to Brotherton Castle which was then owned by Charles Alexander, a parent.
The Castle was built in 1867 by Hercules James Scott, who had married Anna Moon the daughter of a Liverpool cotton merchant.
The BBC recently visited Lathallan to film an episode of ‘Villages by the Sea’, featuring Johnshaven and the philanthropic efforts of Hercules Scott. It’s worth a watch!
On Hercules Scott’s death in 1897 his eldest daughter, Anna Katherine (the last Scott to live at Brotherton Castle) succeeded to the estate.
The estate had its own gas-works, as well as five gardeners, five foresters and three gamekeepers who kept the grounds in order. Inside the Castle there was a housekeeper, butler, footman, hall boy, cook, kitchen maids and scullery maids. There was also the Castle’s own laundry employing two maids. With the advent of the car two chauffeurs were employed, and in North Lodge, the house at the top of the main driveway, there lived a gatekeeper.
During the Second World War Brotherton Castle was turned into a maternity hospital. Miss Scott died in July 1948 and Brotherton was left to her niece, Mrs Freda Gell, who in turn sold the estate to Mr Charles Alexander.
In 1950 he sold the castle and its grounds to the school governors. In 1976 the school finally became co-educational. A nursery department followed and in 2004 the school opened an adjacent ‘Lathallan Nursery’, which offers nursery care and education all year round. Lathallan’s biggest step forward was still to come, however, as in 2004 the school announced its intention to continue its own unique brand of education to senior school pupils. The first senior school pupils joined the school in September 2006, with the senior school housed in the main castle building.
Lathallan will celebrate its centenary year in 2030 and the school is planning a series of events to commemorate the milestone.
To get a sense of the history of Brotherton Castle, as well as finding out more about our exciting plans for the future, why not visit for yourself?
The Castle was built in 1867 by Hercules James Scott, who had married Anna Moon the daughter of a Liverpool cotton merchant. On Hercules Scott’s death in 1897 his eldest daughter, Anna Katherine (the last Scott to live at Brotherton Castle) succeeded to the estate.
