Former pupils and staff of Balhousie Primary/Northern District School in Perth are being offered the chance to receive a brick from their old school. Perth and Kinross Council has invited anyone with a connection to the historic building, built in 1908, to get in touch.
The B-listed Victorian building on Dunkeld Road closed as a school in 2023, was destroyed by fire in June 2025, and was subsequently demolished. The council has now revealed it carefully preserved a few hundred bricks from the school and is offering them free of charge as a memento to members of the local community.
Council invites requests for historic brickwork
A council spokesperson said: “Every brick has a story. Now we’re giving members of our community the chance to keep a small piece of that story alive.”
“For more than a century, generations of pupils, teachers and families passed through the doors of the former Northern District and Balhousie Primary School. Built in 1908, the school holds many special memories for those who learned, worked and spent time there.”
“Although the building is no longer standing, some of its original brickwork has been carefully preserved. We would like to offer former pupils, staff and those with a connection to the school the opportunity to receive a piece of this historic brickwork as a lasting memento.”
Those interested are asked to email PropertyHelpDesk@pkc.gov.uk with the subject heading Balhousie Primary School Memento. As of Thursday morning, the council confirmed it had received 65 requests to date.
School history and time capsule discovery
Formerly Northern District School, it was renamed Balhousie Primary School in 2000. Balhousie Primary closed in June 2023 and merged with North Muirton Primary to form Riverside Primary.
During last year’s demolition works, a time capsule concealed within the building’s stonework was found. Contractors Reigart searched for the historic memento after local residents alerted the council to its existence, having seen reference to it in 1908 newspaper reports. It was reported as hidden in a hole in a stone over the right side of the main entrance during the laying of the foundation stone.
The glass jar contained a historical statement, a photograph of the members of the school board and officials, newspapers and educational papers. It was located by the contractors in November 2025 and removed without damage. In March 2026, the time capsule became the centrepiece of a one-day exhibition about Northern District School and Balhousie Primary at North Inch Community Library.
Revised plans for the Dunkeld Road site
Before last year’s blaze, there were plans to build 45 new affordable homes on the Dunkeld Road site and convert the school building into residential units. Listed building consent was sought to convert the B-listed building into 25 flats. Following the fire, the listed building consent application was withdrawn.
Revised plans have now been drawn up by Trail Architects, on behalf of Perth and Kinross Council, for the erection of 42 flats and four houses on the site.
