It's a piece of Scottish Catholic education history that is set to be bulldozed to make way for a park.

St John's Primary School in Portobello, thought to be the first newly-built Catholic school in Scotland after the Scottish Education Act 1918 is to demolished despite strong objections.

Now it has emerged it has led to a row between eminent Scottish historian Professor Sir Tom Devine and Historic Environment Scotland which has refused to give the building legal protection from the bulldozers.

The academic says that it is "incomprehensible" that Historic Environment Scotland refused to giving it listed status, given to historic building that should be preserved for the nation.

The emeritus professor of history at Edinburgh University says he "protests in the strongest terms as a historian and a Scottish Catholic" over the city council decision to demolish the school.

He says the at-risk building may be the oldest surviving post-1918 Catholic school in Scotland and should be protected but HES "continues to refuse to list it".

Sir Tom says that is because Edinburgh Council’s development proposals to redevelop the whole school site as a new park are seen to be "too far advanced".

He said: "It's incomprehensible given the historic significance of the building, Catholic schooling in Scotland and the history of mass Irish immigration to this country."

He added: "The reality is, however, that demolition of the original building has not yet started. It could therefore yet be saved for the nation,even at this late hour, if the council was to think imaginatively and engage with a group of local artists who are keen to use the building as studio space.

More than 800 have signed an online petition to save St John’s believing it to be an important piece of education heritage.

Campaigners say this neo-Georgian building was possibly the first newly-built Catholic school in Scotland after the Scottish Education Act 1918 integrated Catholic schools into the state system.

But the city council wants to demolish the site and replace it with a park it pledged to deliver as part of the new schools development.

Built in 1924, the Neo-Georgian building was designed by renowned school architects Reid and Forbes.

Sir Tom said: "Only two months ago,evidence came to light that it was the first new Catholic school purpose built by the Edinburgh Education Authority after the historic Education Act of 1918,the ‘Magna Carta of Catholic Schooling in Scotland’.

"Crucially,therefore, St John’s may be the oldest surviving post-1918 Catholic school in Scotland.This means that not only should it become a listed building for architectural merit but also on the grounds of great historic significance."

He added:" It is indeed a sad irony that just as the celebrations of the centenary of the 1918 Act draw to a close this year, that a building, which more than any other symbolises in stone the integration of the Catholic community within the mainstream of Scottish education, should be lost to the nation for no good reason."

Campaigners want to see it become an alternate new home for the Palette community arts centre after its base is knocked down as part of Meadowbank work.

Sir Tom put his weight behind the campaign after being in contact with Professor Ian Campbell, of the University of Edinburgh's College of Art who has described the demolition move as a "scandal" and hopes there is a change of mind over he listing.

The council said plans have been “public knowledge for several years” and demolition is scheduled for later in the year.

One local resident, Diana Cairns,  said there is strong local support for it to be retained and used as artists' studios.

"The site is being cleared to create a new park in part compensation for the loss of Portobello Park four years ago for the rebuilding of Portobello High School, following a private act of parliament to allow building on this common good land but there is no mention of the replacement of the park in the Act.

"However, as the footprint of the school only takes up 3.5% of the total land area allocated for the park the two could be accommodated quite easily. The site is next to an existing 14 hectare park (Figgate Park) so there are questions over whether this is the best location for a new park. New information has recently come to light that St John’s was the first state Catholic primary school in Scotland following the 1918 education act."

A City of Edinburgh Council spokesman said: "In line with the Bill that went through the Scottish Parliament in 2014 for the building of the new Portobello High School the council is committed to building a new park on the old site for St John’s. Public consultations have taken place regarding the whole school site project which included the design of the park for which planning permission has been approved."

A Historic Environment Scotland spokesman said: “We can confirm that we were approached in early October regarding the potential to list St John’s School in Portobello.

"As the demolition proposals are very advanced we informed the applicant that we were unable to consider listing the school at this time. Our former organisation, Historic Scotland, assessed the building for listing in 2007 but concluded that it did not meet the criteria.”