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76-498: The Dunblane massacre took place at Dunblane Primary School in Dunblane , near Stirling , Scotland, on 13 March 1996, when 43-year-old Thomas Hamilton killed 16 pupils and one teacher and injured 15 others before killing himself. It remains the deadliest mass shooting in British history. Following the killings, public debate centred on gun control laws, including public petitions for

152-597: A Scout leader – in July 1973 at age 21, he had been appointed assistant leader with the 4th/6th Stirling troop of the Scout Association . Later that year, he was seconded as leader to the 24th Stirlingshire troop, which was being revived. Several complaints were made about Hamilton's leadership, including complaints about Scouts being forced to sleep in close proximity with him inside his van during hill-walking expeditions. Within months, on 13 May 1974, Hamilton's Scout Warrant

228-432: A Caithness flagstone base. The quotations on the stone are by E. V. Rieu ( "He called a little child to him..." ), Richard Henry Stoddard ( "...the spirit of a little child" ), Bayard Taylor ( "But still I dream that somewhere there must be The spirit of a child that waits for me" ) and W. H. Auden ( "We are linked as children in a circle dancing" ). With the consent of Bob Dylan , the musician Ted Christopher wrote

304-610: A ban on private ownership of handguns and an official inquiry, which produced the 1996 Cullen Report . The incident led to a public campaign, known as the Snowdrop Petition, which helped bring about legislation, specifically two new Firearms Acts, which prohibited the private ownership of most handguns in Great Britain . The UK Government instituted a buyback programme which provided compensation to licensed owners. At about 8:15 a.m. on 13 March 1996, Thomas Hamilton, aged 43,

380-677: A board of trustees from the community. The north side of the town is dominated by the Dunblane Hydro Hotel, currently owned by the Hilton Hotel Group and operated under the Doubletree brand. The Victorian building sits in wooded grounds on the top of a steep and wide grass slope. Dating from the late 19th century, it has been redeveloped and extended several times but still retains its main building relatively intact. It originally housed extensive spa and therapeutic bath facilities (like

456-453: A boys' club were subjected to persecution by local police and the scout movement. Among those he complained to were Queen Elizabeth II and his local Member of Parliament (MP), Michael Forsyth ( Conservative ). In the 1980s, another MP, George Robertson ( Labour ), who lived in Dunblane, had complained to Forsyth about Hamilton's local boys' club, which his son had attended. On the day after

532-445: A new verse for " Knockin' on Heaven's Door " in memory of the Dunblane school children and their teacher. The recording of the revised version of the song, which included brothers and sisters of the victims singing the chorus and Mark Knopfler on guitar, was released on 9 December 1996 in the UK, and reached number 1. The proceeds went to charities for children. Pipe Major Robert Mathieson of

608-477: A nurse, who were involved in the initial resuscitation of the injured. Medical teams from the health centres in Doune and Callander arrived shortly after. The accident and emergency department at Stirling Royal Infirmary had also been informed of a major incident involving multiple casualties at 9:48 a.m. and the first of several medical teams from the hospital arrived at 10:15 a.m. Another medical team from

684-537: A sculpture, "Flame for Dunblane", created by Walter Bailey from a single yew tree , which was placed in the National Forest , near Moira , Leicestershire . The nave of Dunblane Cathedral has a standing stone by the monumental sculptor Richard Kindersley . It was commissioned by the Kirk Session as the cathedral's commemoration and dedicated at a service on 12 March 2001. It is a Clashach stone two metres high on

760-706: A small group of young local boys and their parents raised money to build a skatepark in the Laighills. The skatepark was completed on 23 February 2007 and has already been visited by Death skateboard team and by the Vans UK Tour. The town is served by Dunblane railway station , which has regular services to Stirling , Perth , Glasgow and Edinburgh . It is also a stop on the Caledonian Sleeper from Inverness , and several other long-distance trains to Aberdeen , Dundee, Inverness, and even London. Formerly, Dunblane station

836-494: A successful hydropathic establishment (see photo below). The nave of the cathedral was re-roofed between 1889 and 1893, with new furnishings provided by Robert Rowand Anderson . Since the early 1970s the town has grown extensively and is now regarded as a highly sought-after commuter town due to its excellent road and rail links and good schools. Dunblane is close to the University of Stirling 's campus at Bridge of Allan , and

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912-506: A swimming pool. The school has not had a library since 2011. The school has consistently performed well academically. In 2013, the school was listed in the top ten performing schools of Scotland relating to academic achievement, with well over three quarters of its roll progressing to higher education . In 2019, the school was named as Scotland's second best performing state school as 76% of school leavers had achieved five or more highers in 2018. Dunblane High's uniform has been, since 2010,

988-460: A ward with Bridge of Allan in council elections. Dunblane is often referred to as a city , due to the presence of Dunblane Cathedral . However, this status was never officially recognised. Dunblane currently has two supermarkets, a Tesco (opened in 1996) and a M&S Foodhall (opened in 2009). Among other shops, the High Street has two independent butchers. Over the course of 6 years,

1064-530: A white shirt with black trousers or skirt, " Blu Tack " blue knitwear and a royal blue blazer (or a black blazer with light blue braiding for S6). Ties vary by year group. The houses are Ramoyle (red), Sheriffmuir (yellow) and Kilbryde (blue). Queen Victoria School is a co-educational boarding school for children of those in the British Armed Forces , and is managed and funded by the Ministry of Defence . It

1140-399: A window next to the fire exit at the south-east end of the gym, possibly at an adult who was walking across the playground, and then fired four more shots in the same direction after opening the fire exit door. Hamilton then exited the gym briefly through the fire exit, firing another four shots towards the cloakroom of the library, striking and injuring Grace Tweddle, another member of staff at

1216-514: Is a popular location for academics. On 13 March 1996 local man Thomas Hamilton shot dead 16 children and their teacher, Gwen Mayor, in Dunblane Primary School's gymnasium before killing himself . He used his licensed weapons and ammunition. There is a memorial to the 17 victims in the local cemetery and a cenotaph in the cathedral. There are also stained-glass windows in Church of

1292-461: Is a purpose-built youth, family, arts, sports and community centre. It was built after a community vote chose that option for money from a consolidation of several funds which were created in the aftermath of the 1996 tragedy. It opened in 2004 and receives no state finance, relying on user revenue and fundraising. It is run by the Dunblane Youth and Sports Centre Trust (Charity No. SC027397), with

1368-564: Is a town in the council area of Stirling in central Scotland, and inside the historic boundaries of the county of Perthshire . It is a commuter town , with many residents making use of good transport links to much of the Central Belt , including Glasgow and Edinburgh . Dunblane is built on the banks of the Allan Water (or River Allan), a tributary of the River Forth . Dunblane Cathedral

1444-455: Is fed mainly by pupils from Dunblane's three primary schools. The school is in the south west of Dunblane, on Old Doune Road. The current building was completed in November 2007, later being formally opened by Jamie Murray . It was constructed on the playing fields of the previous 1970s structure, the old campus being sold for residential development and the playing fields moved to the other side of

1520-540: Is its most prominent landmark. Dunblane had a population of 8,114 at the 2001 census , which grew to 8,811 at the 2011 census ; both of these figures were computed according to the 2010 definition of the locality. In mid-2016 it was estimated that the population had grown to 9,410. The most popular theory for the derivation of the name "Dunblane" is that it means "fort of Blane", commemorating Saint Blane (or Blán in Old Irish ), an early Christian saint who lived probably in

1596-466: Is noted for its organ. Further fragments of medieval woodwork from the cathedral are displayed in the town's museum , formerly the Cathedral Museum, situated nearby. Though still used as a parish church, the building is in the care of Historic Scotland . To the south of the cathedral are some stone vaults of medieval origin, which are the only remaining fragment of the bishop's palace . Adjacent to

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1672-399: Is secondary to the principal with regard to school governance. Assistant principals generally perform specific duties such as handling student discipline, curriculum, student council or student activities whereas the principal has the ultimate responsibility for the school as a whole (including faculty and staff, physical plant, etc.). In many Australian and New Zealand schools, a principal is

1748-674: Is situated roughly 1 mile (2 km) north of the town centre, in a secluded area overlooking the A9. The school's chapel is a notable example of Scottish medieval revival architecture, based on the 14th century Dominican (later parish) church of St Monans in Fife. Headmaster While some head teachers still do some teaching themselves, in most larger schools, most of their duties are managerial and pastoral . They are often used to discipline misbehaving students and to help organize school-sponsored activities, and teachers report to them. In Australia,

1824-519: Is the 2nd largest primary school in Stirling Council with 395 students. In 1996, the school's gym was the scene of the Dunblane massacre . The school reopened within days, and the old gym was quickly demolished and replaced with an extension at the other end of the building. The former gym site became a memorial garden. Dunblane Primary's uniform consists of blue polo shirts and red jumpers (except Primary 7, whose jumpers are black). The colour of

1900-626: The Child Protection Unit. He was reported to the Procurator Fiscal for consideration of ten charges, including assault , obstructing police and contravention of the Children and Young Persons Act 1937. Reports from serving police officers stated that he was unsuitable to own firearms; no action was taken. Two books – Dunblane: Our Year of Tears by Peter Samson and Alan Crow and Dunblane: Never Forget by Mick North – both give accounts of

1976-690: The Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary arrived at 10:35 a.m. By about 11:10 a.m., all of the injured had been taken to Stirling Royal Infirmary for medical treatment. Upon examination, several of the patients were transferred to the District Royal Infirmary in Falkirk and some to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow . The shooter fired 106 shots in total during the massacre, including

2052-572: The Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band composed a pipe tune in tribute, "The Bells of Dunblane". Scottish composer James MacMillan created a choral work, A child's prayer , as a tribute to the dead at Dunblane. English punk rock band U.K. Subs released a song called "Dunblane" on their 1997 album Quintessentials , with the chorus "After Dunblane how can you hold a gun and say you're innocent?" Dunblane Primary School Dunblane ( / d ʌ n ˈ b l eɪ n / , Scottish Gaelic : Dùn Bhlàthain )

2128-599: The Holy Rude, St Blanes and Lecropt tempering the Children and their Teacher. The funds raised in the aftermath of the tragedy were used to build a new community centre (the Dunblane Centre). Following the incident, the government passed legislation banning ownership of all handguns —firearms under 60 centimetres (23.6 in) in overall length, in the United Kingdom. Tennis players Jamie Murray and Andy Murray were in

2204-551: The United States have resulted in an increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse Pre K-12 student population, so classroom teachers and principals in the U.S. are not only focusing on instructional issues, but also need to increase educational leadership , cross-cultural leadership, and multicultural education . In larger schools, the principal is assisted by one or more " vice-principals ", " assistant principals ", "associate principals", or "deputy principals". Their position

2280-510: The aftermath of the massacre and was supported by some parents of the victims of the Dunblane and Hungerford massacres shootings. Bereaved families and others also campaigned for a ban on private gun ownership. In response to public debate, the Conservative government of Prime Minister John Major introduced the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 which banned all cartridge ammunition handguns with

2356-474: The bypass. The current building includes some theatre facilities, a fitness suite, a dance studio, several pupil lounges, and an all weather sports pitch that was originally built for the old building. The building was the first Public-Private Partnership school project in the Stirling Council area. Complaints were made that it had inadequate catering facilities, and was the only Stirling school built without

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2432-403: The car park towards the school buildings. Hamilton headed towards the north-west side of the school to a door near the toilets and the school gymnasium. After entering, he made his way to the gymnasium armed with four legally-held handguns—two 9mm Browning HP pistols and two Smith & Wesson M19 .357 Magnum revolvers . Hamilton was also carrying 743 ammunition cartridges . In the gym

2508-581: The cathedral is relatively modest in scale, but its refined architecture is much admired, as is its setting overlooking the valley of the Allan Water. After the Reformation , the nave of the cathedral was abandoned and soon became roofless and used for burials. The choir was retained as the parish church . In 1715, the Battle of Sherriffmuir was fought on land very close to Dunblane. Many combatants were billeted in

2584-453: The cathedral, Scottish Churches House was (from the 1960s until its closure in 2011) a centre for ecumenical study and the former headquarters for Action of Churches Together in Scotland . It now operates as a hotel, featuring a medieval chapel in the grounds. The old town centre retains a number of historic buildings in addition to the cathedral, including the 17th century Leighton Library ,

2660-453: The centre of Dunblane, but a bypass was completed in 1991 and the old road became the B8033. The rapid expansion of the town has led to a large increase in local car usage, resulting in considerable parking problems. Dunblane Cathedral is remarkable in having retained more of its late-medieval choir stalls than any other Scottish church building (except King's College Chapel , Aberdeen), and also

2736-459: The centre of the gym, firing 16 shots at point-blank range at a group of children who had been incapacitated by his earlier shots. A Primary 7 pupil who was walking along the west side of the gymnasium exterior at the time heard loud bangs and screams and looked inside. Hamilton shot in his direction and the pupil was injured by flying glass before running away. From this position, Hamilton fired 24 shots in various directions. He fired shots towards

2812-526: The documents were released to the public in October 2005. Four files containing post-mortems , medical records and profiles on the victims, as well as Hamilton's post-mortem, remained sealed under the 100-year order to avoid distressing the relatives and survivors. The released documents revealed that in 1991, complaints against Hamilton were made to the Central Scotland Police and were investigated by

2888-550: The exception of .22 calibre rimfire in England, Scotland, and Wales. Following the 1997 United Kingdom general election , the Labour government of Prime Minister Tony Blair introduced the Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 , banning the remaining .22 cartridge handguns as well. This left only muzzle-loading and historic handguns legal as well as certain sporting handguns (e.g. "Long-Arms") and long-barrelled handguns that fall outside

2964-462: The gym. Harrild stumbled into the open-plan store cupboard at the side of the gym along with several injured children. Gwen Mayor, the teacher of the Primary 1 class, was shot and killed instantly. The other adult present, Mary Blake, a supervisory assistant, was shot in the head and both legs but also managed to make her way to the store cupboard with several of the children in front of her. From entering

3040-406: The gymnasium and walking a few steps, Hamilton had fired 29 shots with one of the pistols, killed one child, and injured several others. Four injured children had taken shelter in the store cupboard along with the injured Harrild and Blake. Hamilton then moved up the east side of the gym, firing six shots as he walked, and then fired eight shots towards the opposite end of the gym. He then went towards

3116-468: The head administrator of a school who has been appointed to her/his position by the school board , superintendent, or other body. The principal, often in conjunction with the school board, makes the executive decisions that govern the school, as well as having the authority over the employment (and in some cases firing) of teachers. The principal is often the chief disciplinarian of the students. While there has been considerable anecdotal discussion about

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3192-412: The head teacher is sometimes in charge of one (in the case of a major subject) or multiple (often in smaller schools) specific departments, such as English, history, maths, science, writing, technology, etc., but maintains full teaching duties and status. They are considered part of the school executive, and often a head teacher position is a stepping-stone into administration. Rapid demographic changes in

3268-442: The importance of school principals, there has been very little systematic research into their impact on student outcomes. Recent analysis in the United States has examined how the gains in student achievement at a school change after the principal changes. This outcome-based approach to measuring effectiveness of principals is very similar to the value-added modeling that has been applied to the evaluation of teachers. Such research in

3344-399: The incumbency of the first rector of St Mary's Episcopal Church , Canon Henry Malcolm. It was renovated and extended in 1997. St Mary's had two teachers until the 1970s. There are now four classes covering the seven primary years, plus a nursery class. The St Mary's uniform consists of blue polo shirts and green jumpers. The houses are Cromlix, Keir, Kilbryde and Kippenross. Newton Primary

3420-653: The late 6th century. His main seat was originally Kingarth on the Isle of Bute . He or his followers may have founded a church at Dunblane; the cult of Blán possibly came there with settlers from what is now Argyll in later centuries. The earliest spellings of the name Dunblane are of the form Dul Blaan , the first element being a Pictish word for 'water meadow, haugh' which was borrowed into Scottish Gaelic . There are parallels to Dul Blaan in such Scottish place-names as Dalserf , Dalmarnock and Dalpatrick, all of which commemorate saints. The earliest evidence for Christianity on

3496-442: The massacre for GMTV , was a guest speaker at the service. In August 1997, two varieties of rose were unveiled and planted as the centrepiece for a roundabout in Dunblane. The two roses were developed by Cockers Roses of Aberdeen ; the 'Gwen Mayor' rose and 'Innocence' rose, in memory of the children killed. A snowdrop cultivar , originally found in a Dunblane garden in the 1970s, was renamed 'Sophie North' in memory of one of

3572-602: The massacre from the perspective of those most directly affected. In 2009, the Sunday Express was criticised for an inappropriate article about the survivors of the massacre, thirteen years after the event. On the Sunday following the shootings the morning service from Dunblane Cathedral , conducted by Colin MacIntosh, was broadcast live by the BBC . The BBC also had live transmission of

3648-562: The massacre, Robertson spoke of having previously argued with Hamilton "in my own home". On 19 March 1996, six days after the massacre, Hamilton's body was cremated . According to a police spokesman, this service was conducted "far away from Dunblane". The Cullen Reports , the result of the inquiry into the Dunblane massacre, recommended that the Government of the United Kingdom introduce tighter controls on handgun ownership and consider whether an outright ban on private ownership would be in

3724-495: The massacre, in October 1996, the families of the victims organised their own memorial service at Dunblane Cathedral, which more than 600 people attended, including Prince Charles . The service was broadcast live on BBC1 and conducted by James Whyte , a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland . Television presenter Lorraine Kelly , who had befriended some of the victims' families whilst reporting on

3800-436: The memorial service on 9 October 1996, also held at Dunblane Cathedral. A documentary series, Crimes That Shook Britain , discussed the massacre. The documentary Dunblane: Remembering our Children , which featured many of the parents of the children who had been killed, was broadcast by STV and ITV at the time of the first anniversary. In Cold Blood , a 1997 documentary exploring the psychology behind mass killings, examined

3876-499: The men behind the mass shootings in Dunblane, Aramoana, New Zealand and Port Arthur, Tasmania — and found common traits in the three murderers. At the time of the tenth anniversary in March 2006 two documentaries were broadcast: Channel 5 screened Dunblane — A Decade On and BBC Scotland showed Remembering Dunblane . On 9 March 2016 relatives of the victims spoke in a BBC Scotland documentary entitled Dunblane: Our Story to mark

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3952-487: The minimum barrel and overall length dimensions in the Firearms Act 1968 , as amended. This handgun ban did not apply to Northern Ireland, where it remains legal for citizens to own handguns for target shooting (if they hold a firearms licence) and, for self-defence, if the owner holds a personal protection weapon permit, almost 3000 of which were on issue as of 2012. Evidence of previous police interaction with Hamilton

4028-490: The oldest private library in Scotland open to the public (on selected days in summer). A well-preserved late medieval town-house nearby (which was probably built as the manse of the Dean of the medieval cathedral) houses a local history museum (open in the summer; free entry). A modern extension has recently been completed within its interior courtyard to provide additional exhibition space and allow disabled access. The Dunblane Centre

4104-428: The other Scottish "Hydros", such as Crieff and Peebles). There are currently around two thousand pupils in schools in Dunblane. Dunblane Primary School is on Doune Road, on the western side of Dunblane. The school has a large playing field (with a basketball court), regularly used for extra-curricular activities and by local clubs. A council-run nursery is attached to the school, in a separate building. As of 2022, it

4180-457: The other two primary schools in Dunblane, it also has an attached nursery. Newton Primary's uniform consists of white polo shirts and royal blue jumpers. For Primary 7's the uniform is slightly different, instead consisting of white polo shirts and a Darker Navy blue jumper. In 2019 the head teacher of Newton Primary died, since then they have built a memorial building in remembrance. Dunblane High School has roughly 1000 pupils and 60 teachers and

4256-419: The pistol he was using, and took out one of the two revolvers. He put the barrel of the gun in his mouth, pointed it upwards, and pulled the trigger, killing himself. A total of 32 people sustained gunshot wounds inflicted by Hamilton over a 3–4 minute period, 16 of whom were fatally wounded in the gymnasium, including Gwen Mayor and 15 of her pupils. One other child died en route to hospital. The first call to

4332-469: The police was made at 9:41 a.m. by the headmaster of the school Ronald Taylor, who had been alerted by assistant headmistress Agnes Awlson to the possibility of a gunman on the school premises. Awlson had told Taylor that she had heard screaming inside the gymnasium and had seen what she thought to be cartridges on the ground, and Taylor had been aware of loud noises which he assumed to have been from builders on site that he had not been informed of. As he

4408-399: The presenter revisited the town, speaking with the victims' families and emergency aid workers. Two days after the shooting, a vigil and prayer session was held at Dunblane Cathedral which was attended by people of all faiths. On Mothering Sunday , on 17 March, Queen Elizabeth II and her daughter Anne, Princess Royal , attended a memorial service at Dunblane Cathedral. Seven months after

4484-406: The public interest in the alternative (though club ownership would be maintained). The report also recommended changes in school security and vetting of people working with children under 18. The Home Affairs Select Committee agreed with the need for restrictions on gun ownership but stated that a handgun ban was not appropriate. An advocacy group, the six-member Gun Control Network, was founded in

4560-455: The school at the time of the massacre. The town was a royal burgh and part of Perthshire until the 1975 abolition of Scottish counties , from which point it became part of Stirling District in Central Region . In 1994, the regions were themselves abolished and Dunblane's only local authority became Stirling Council . Dunblane also has an active community council. Until 1983, Dunblane

4636-531: The school logo on jumpers varies by house. The houses are named after local castles; Airthrey (red), Doune (blue), Drummond (yellow) and Kilbryde (green). St Mary's is the oldest and smallest primary school in Dunblane, located near the middle of the town. It has been on its current site in Smithy Loan (near the Fourways roundabout) since 1850. St Mary's was established as a church school for poor children under

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4712-401: The school. In the mobile classroom closest to the fire exit where Hamilton was standing, Catherine Gordon saw him firing shots and instructed her Primary 7 class to get down onto the floor before Hamilton fired nine bullets into the classroom, striking books and equipment. One bullet passed through a chair where a child had been sitting seconds before. Hamilton then re-entered the gym, dropped

4788-399: The site are two cross-slabs of the 10th to 11th centuries which are preserved in the cathedral. Incorporated into the later medieval building, but originally free-standing, is an 11th-century bell-tower, whose height was increased in the 15th century. The nave and aisleless choir date from the 13th century. Dunblane did not have a rich or extensive medieval diocese (37 parishes), and so

4864-466: The suicide shot. 105 were fired by one of his Browning pistols, and the final shot was fired with one of his Smith & Wesson revolvers. Thomas Watt Hamilton was born on 10 May 1952 in Glasgow . As the head of several youth clubs, Hamilton had been the subject of several complaints to police regarding inappropriate behaviour towards young boys, including claims that he had taken photographs of semi-naked boys without parental consent. He had briefly been

4940-573: The town before the battle. Dunblane Railway Station opened in 1848 as a stop on the Scottish Central Railway 's Stirling to Perth line, and later served as a junction with another line to Callander that eventually reached Oban. This line was axed with the Beeching cuts , closing in 1965. During the boom years of the Hydropathy movement in the 19th century, Dunblane was the location of

5016-577: The twentieth anniversary. A 2018 Netflix documentary , Lessons from a School Shooting: Notes from Dunblane , directed by Kim A. Snyder , drew comparison with the Sandy Hook massacre in the US by exploring the grief and friendship between the two priests serving the affected communities at the times of the respective shootings. On 11 March 2021, ITV aired a special documentary to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary: Return to Dunblane with Lorraine Kelly in which

5092-401: The victims of the massacre. The gymnasium at the school was demolished on 11 April 1996 and replaced by a memorial garden. Two years after the massacre, on 14 March 1998, a memorial garden was opened at Dunblane Cemetery, where Mayor and twelve of the children who were killed are buried. The garden features a fountain with a plaque of the names of those killed. Stained glass windows in memory of

5168-704: The victims were placed in three local churches, St Blane's and the Church of the Holy Family in Dunblane and the nearby Lecropt Kirk as well as at the Dunblane Youth and Community Centre. Newton Primary School awards The Gwen Mayor Rosebowl to a pupil every year. A charity, the Gwen Mayor Trust, was set up by the Educational Institute of Scotland to provide funding for projects in Scottish primary schools. The National Association of Primary Education commissioned

5244-435: Was a class of 28 Primary 1 pupils preparing for a P.E. lesson in the presence of three adult members of staff. Before entering the gymnasium, it is believed Hamilton fired two shots into the stage of the assembly hall and the girls' toilet. Hamilton started shooting rapidly and randomly. He shot P.E. teacher Eileen Harrild who was injured in her arms and chest as she attempted to protect herself and continued shooting into

5320-516: Was also the junction for services over the scenically attractive route to Doune, Callander and Crianlarich, where the line joined the still extant line from Glasgow to Oban. The route to Oban via the popular Callander line closed in 1965. As of 2022, Dunblane is the northernmost electrified station on the British railway network. Dunblane is the point at which the M9 motorway ends and joins the A9 dual carriageway north towards Perth. The A9 formerly went through

5396-425: Was on his way to the gym, the shooting ended and when he saw what had happened he ran back to his office and told deputy headmistress Fiona Eadington to call for ambulances, a call which was made at 9:43 a.m. The first ambulance arrived on the scene at 9:57 a.m. in response to the call made at 9:43 a.m. Another medical team from Dunblane Health Centre arrived at 10:04 a.m. which included doctors and

5472-547: Was opened in 1996. The name of the school comes from Newton Farm, which goes back as far as the Charter of 1655 when Oliver Cromwell confirmed James Pearson of Kippenross as the owner. The streets that encircle the school, Newton Crescent and Ochiltree (named after the Bishop of Dunblane from 1429 to 1447), are reflected in the logo of the school, which includes a tractor and a celtic cross . Around 440 pupils attend Newton Primary. Like

5548-712: Was part of the Kinross and Western Perthshire constituency of the UK parliament, being represented by predominantly Unionist (and Conservative ) MPs. After 1983, it became part of the Stirling constituency , and since then has been represented by Conservative, Labour and SNP MPs. In the Scottish Parliament , Dunblane is part of the Clackmannanshire and Dunblane constituency and the Mid Scotland and Fife region. It shares

5624-560: Was presented to the Cullen Inquiry but was later sealed under a closure order to prevent publication for 100 years. The official reason for sealing the documents was to protect the identities of children, but this led to accusations of a coverup intended to protect the reputations of officials. Following a review of the closure order by the Lord Advocate , Colin Boyd , edited versions of some of

5700-493: Was seen scraping ice off his van outside his home at Kent Road in Stirling. He left soon afterwards and drove about five miles (eight kilometres) north to Dunblane. Hamilton arrived on the grounds of Dunblane Primary School at around 9:30 a.m. and parked his van near a telegraph pole in the car park of the school. He cut the telephone cables at the bottom of the telegraph pole which served nearby houses, before making his way across

5776-588: Was withdrawn, with the County Commissioner stating that he was "suspicious of his moral intentions towards boys". He was blacklisted by the Association and thwarted in a later attempt he made to become a Scout leader in Clackmannanshire . Hamilton claimed in letters that local rumours regarding his behaviour towards young boys had led to the failure of his business in 1993, and that, in the last months of his life, he had complained that his attempts to organise

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