""The Donald Dewar Memorial Debating Tournament"" is a national debating competition held throughout the year in Scottish Secondary Schools. It is one of the leading debating tournaments in Scotland and is organised annually by the Law Society of Scotland

Law Society of Scotland

The Law Society of Scotland is the professional governing body for Scottish solicitors.It promotes excellence among solicitors through representation, support and regulation of its members. It also promotes the interests of the public in relation to the profession...

. It was created in 1999 and was held in order to remember the life, work and passion of Donald Dewar

Donald Dewar

Donald Campbell Dewar was a British politician who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament in Scotland from 1966-1970, and then again from 1978 until his death in 2000. He served in Tony Blair's cabinet as Secretary of State for Scotland from 1997-1999 and was instrumental in the creation...

, the first First Minister of Scotland

First Minister of Scotland

The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...

. Since 2006, the final of the tournament has been held in the debating chamber of The Scottish Parliament, in Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

. The current holders of the cup are Blair Wilson and Mari McKinlay of Brae's High School, Falkirk.

Format of The Competition

The competition has four stages of debate. These take place throughout Scottish Secondary Schools from November to June, with the final being held in the Scottish Parliament.

Round	Format	Venues
1	Teams are given two weeks to prepare	Host Secondary School
2	Teams are given two weeks to prepare	Host Secondary School
Semi-Finals	Teams are given one hour to prepare	Host Secondary School
Final	Teams are given three weeks to prepare	Scottish Parliament

The Donald Dewar Memorial Debate 2010

This is the record of the semi finals and final of the competition in 2010.

Semi Final One - Edinburgh

School	Result
Craigmount High School Craigmount High School For the former private school see Craigmount School.Craigmount High School is a non-denominational secondary school in Edinburgh, Scotland with 1400 pupils located in the west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It moved into new premises at the beginning of the 2003 academic year. The current headteacher is Dr...	Progressed to Final
Jedburgh Grammar School Jedburgh Grammar School Jedburgh Grammar School is a state secondary school in Jedburgh, Scotland, with around 440 pupils, 40 teaching staff, and 15 non-teaching staff.-Architecture:...	Eliminated
Stewart's Melville College Stewart's Melville College Stewart's Melville College is an all boys boarding and day private school situated in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland...	Eliminated
Fettes College Fettes College Fettes College is an independent school for boarding and day pupils in Edinburgh, Scotland with over two thirds of its pupils in residence on campus...	Eliminated

Semi Final Two - Glasgow

School	Result
The Glasgow Academy The Glasgow Academy Founded in 1845, the Glasgow Academy is the oldest fully independent school in Glasgow, Scotland. It is located in the Kelvinbridge area and has approximately 1300 pupils, split between three preparatory school sites and a senior school....	Progressed to Final
Uddingston Grammar School Uddingston Grammar School Uddingston Grammar School is the only high school in Uddingston, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Its motto is 'Virtute Crescam' which means 'may I grow in moral excellence'The school was opened in August 1885...	Eliminated
Abronhill High School Abronhill High School Abronhill High School is a non-denominational, comprehensive, secondary school in Abronhill, a suburb of the Scottish new town of Cumbernauld. The school roll was 473 pupils in 2008...	Eliminated
Belmont Academy Belmont Academy Belmont Academy is the largest secondary school in Ayr, and the 6th largest in Scotland. The Academy is inter-faith and state-run by South Ayrshire Council. In 2008 the school transferred from the old 48-year-old campus into a brand new building, which was opened to pupils in August...	Eliminated

Semi Final Three - Glasgow

School	Result
Madras College Madras College Madras College is a secondary school in St. Andrews, Fife in Scotland.-History:Madras College, founded in 1832, takes its name from the system of education devised by the school's founder, the Rev Dr Andrew Bell....	Progressed to Final
Greenock Academy Greenock Academy The Greenock Academy was a non-denominational, mixed comprehensive school in the west end of Greenock, Scotland.The Greenock Academy and Gourock High School merged into a new school in the Bayhill area of Gourock...	Eliminated
Douglas Academy Douglas Academy Douglas Academy is a secondary school in Milngavie in the outskirts of Glasgow. In 2001, Douglas Academy was Scotland's top performing state school with 31% of students gaining five or more highers....	Eliminated
Dumfries Academy Dumfries Academy Dumfries Academy is one of four secondary schools in the town of Dumfries in South West Scotland.-History:Dumfries Academy has existed in its present form, though not in the buildings it currently occupies, since 1804...	Eliminated

Semi Final Four - Aberdeen

School	Result
St. Margaret's School of Girls	Progressed to Final
The High School of Dundee	Eliminated
Dollar Academy Dollar Academy Dollar Academy was founded in 1818, which makes it the oldest co-educational day and boarding school in the world. The open campus occupies a site in the centre of the thriving town of Dollar in Central Scotland, less than 40 minutes drive from the two main Scottish cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh...	Eliminated
Sandwick Junior High School	Eliminated

Final - Edinburgh

School	Result
The Glasgow Academy	Winner
Craigmount High School	Runners-up
Madras College	Eliminated
St. Margaret's School for Girls	Eliminated

The Donald Dewar Memorial Debate 2011

This is the record of the semi finals and final of the competition in 2011.

Semi Final One - Falkirk

School	Result
Brae's High School	Progressed to Final
Abronhill High Schooll	Eliminated
Edinburgh Academy	Eliminated
Balfron High School	Eliminated

Semi Final Two - Glasgow

School	Result
Kirkcudbright Academy	Progressed to Final
The Glasgow Academy	Eliminated
All Saint's RC High School	Eliminated
Marr College	Eliminated

Semi Final Three - Aberdeen

School	Result
Glenalmond College	Progressed to Final
Robert Gordon College	Eliminated
Nairn Academy	Eliminated
Madras College	Eliminated

Semi Final Four - Edinburgh

School	Result
Stewart's Melville College	Progressed to Final
Craigmount High School	Eliminated
Dunfermline High School	Eliminated
George Heriot's School	Eliminated

Final - Edinburgh

School	Result
Braes High School	Winner
Stewart's Melville College	Runners-up
Kirkcudbright Academy	Eliminated
Glenalmond College	Eliminated

See also

• School debating in Scotland
  School debating in Scotland
  School Debating in Scotland is a competitive activity taken up on an extracurricular basis by many schools across the country. Teams of two or three compete in several competitions and schools debaters may be selected for Scotland in the World Schools Debating Championships.Scotland were the 2007...