The school made famous by the iconic Scottish film Gregory’s Girl has closed its doors for the last time.
Abronhill High was shut down yesterday in a cost-cutting move, despite widespread opposition from the community.
The final bell rang at 12.57pm, with pupils and staff described as being “emotional”.
Built in the 1970s, the Cumbernauld school had only been open for two years before it became the setting for the cult teen romantic comedy Gregory’s Girl, starring John Gordon Sinclair, Dee Hepburn and Clare Grogan.
The award-winning film – by Local Hero director Bill Forsyth – follows Gregory as he tries to win the affections of Dorothy, a fellow player on the high school football team.
Scenes shot at the school contributed to the film winning a Bafta for best screenplay.
A 1999 sequel, Gregory’s Two Girls, featured him as a teacher returning to his old school.
Gregory’s Girl was ranked number 30 in the British Film Institute’s list of the top 100 British films.
In 2012, North Lanarkshire Council took the decision to close Abronhill, describing it as “outdated and no longer appropriate for the modern curriculum”.
Built with the capacity for 1,000 pupils, the school roll had dwindled to fewer than 500 by 2011.
The decision to close the school and transfer pupils elsewhere sparked a campaign to save Abronhill, with fans and actors rallying behind the cause.
Taggart actor Alex Norton, who played teacher Alec in the film, described the school as “part of Scottish cinema history”.
On Facebook, more than 2,200 signed up to a group to save it, but the decision to close the school was upheld by government ministers.
The closure of the Abronhill, along with another secondary in the town, Cumbernauld High, will save North Lanarkshire Council an estimated £1.1million a year. The two schools have been combined into a new £30million campus.