Dumfries High School farewell tour draws 1,000 people

About 1,000 former pupils and staff have booked tours of the 1961 Dumfries High School ahead of its demolition, and a new building is due to open in May.

Dumfries High School is opening its 1961 building for farewell tours as the site prepares for demolition and replacement. Staff organised guided visits so former pupils, staff and members of the public can walk the corridors and view displays about the school's history. The response was larger than expected, with places filling rapidly. A new school is being built behind the current building and pupils will move into it in May. What we know: - About 1,000 former pupils and staff have booked places for the farewell tours after an initial allocation of 800 tickets sold out quickly and a further 200 were added. - Visitors can view displays of stories, images and yearbooks that illustrate the school's history, including photos of Adam Wiles, who later became known as Calvin Harris. - Head teacher Phil Cubbon said staff were surprised by the demand and described the event as a chance to say goodbye to the old building. - Construction of the new school is underway behind the existing building, and the move into the new facility is planned for May, with demolition and landscaping of the old site to follow. Summary: The farewell tours offer a final opportunity for many to see the 65-year-old Dumfries High School before it is taken down. Pupils are scheduled to relocate to the new building in May, and demolition of the 1961 structure and subsequent landscaping of the site will begin after the move.