James Shearer
James Grant Shearer (1881–1962) was a Scottish architect whose work helped shape buildings and towns across Scotland in the early and mid-20th century. Based in Dunfermline, he worked on projects from the town to the Highlands, and is especially known for his collaborations with the Carnegie trusts and for his role with the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board (NOSB).
Born in Dunfermline on 6 April 1881, Shearer trained as an architect, starting with an apprenticeship in 1897 and later working with John Burnet & Son in Glasgow while studying at the Glasgow School of Art. He set up his own Dunfermline practice in 1907. After serving in the army during World War I, he returned to his architectural work in 1919 and moved his offices to Queen Anne Street about 1920.
Early in his career he worked on extensions and alterations to existing buildings, such as the City Arms Hotel in Dunfermline, Carnock Primary School, and a house at Crossford. He also designed industrial buildings, including the Caledonia Works in Dunfermline and Fordell Colliery. In the 1920s he began a productive relationship with the Carnegie trusts, helping to reconstruct St Mary’s Hall in Dunfermline (1924) and adding a memorial building to the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum, designed in a traditional Scottish baronial style.
A notable project from this period was the Dunfermline fire station (1934–1936), designed in a modern Art Deco-International style and later listed as a category B building.
Shearer also worked as a town planning consultant for Dunfermline (from 1938) and for Clackmannanshire (from 1944). Between 1940 and 1943 he advised the Scottish Youth Hostels Association on converting country houses into hostels, including the David Marshall Lodge at Aberfoyle, now part of the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park.
The creation of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board in 1943 gave Shearer major opportunities. He was one of three Scottish architectural advisors, along with Reginald Fairlie and Harold Tarbolton, and he stayed with NOSB for about 18 years. He worked on schemes such as Affric-Beauly, Fannich on the River Conon, and Lochalsh, championing a design approach that used local stone to blend large power stations into the landscape. He played a key role in moving away from plain brick or concrete boxes toward stone-faced buildings, and he helped source local stone and skilled workers for the projects. Fasnakyle, Grudie Bridge, Luichart, and other stations became well known for their stone façades and careful siting in the Highlands.
As head of the NOSB’s architectural work, Shearer also influenced the design of sub-stations and staff housing, and he remained a driving force in the Board’s buildings for many years. His ideas about landscape-compatible design and the use of local materials became a defining feature of NOSB projects.
In Dunfermline his planning work continued to influence the town. His 1949 development plan proposed two large residential estates with schools and shops, a civic centre, and separate industrial zones, plus new roads to reduce congestion. The plan helped shape Dunfermline’s first development plan in 1952 and reflected his belief that good planning should create pleasant, functional places for people.
In 1952 Shearer formed a partnership with George Annand, creating Shearer and Annand. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1959 for his contributions to architecture and planning. He died on 20 December 1962 at the age of 81. After his death, the practice continued with his son before eventually merging with another firm in 1994.
Shearer’s drawings, plans, and papers are now held by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, after being transferred from the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland. A major cataloguing project completed in the early 2000s made thousands of drawings and manuscripts available for study.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:38 (CET).