Fettes College
Based on an 100 acres campus near to the centre of Edinburgh, the school's main building has been described as "undeniably one of Scotland's greatest buildings". Fettes College follows the English educational system, offering A Levels or IB to boys and girls aged 13-18. There is also a connected pre-prep and prep school for students aged 4-13.
Ideal student
A pupil who likes the idea of a traditional boarding school but wants it delivered with a warmer, more modern edge. Best suited to those who will throw themselves into school life, cope well with a busy all-round culture.
Main sports
Rugby, hockey, cricket, netball, lacrosse, tennis, athletics and fives all feature strongly, with a notably competitive fixtures list.
Stand-out facilities
The setting does a lot of the heavy lifting: a spectacular hilltop campus in the heart of Edinburgh with 80 acres of grounds.
Saturday school
Yes. This is a proper full-boarding school and Saturdays remain part of the rhythm, with sport, activities and boarding life very much woven into the week.
Did you know?
The school’s famously eye-catching striped blazer - officially magenta and chocolate, unofficially something a little more colourful - is one of the best-known uniforms in Scotland.
Our takeaway
Imposing on the outside, but much kinder and more forward-looking within. Fettes offers the grandeur, boarding tradition and sporting heft many families want, but with a notably friendlier, less frenetic feel than some of its southern counterparts.
"We want our students to leave us surrounded by friends, with the best grades or IB score possible, being fully prepared for the next exciting phase of their lives."
School Information
| Year | A-level (% A*) |
A-level (% A*/A) |
A-level (% A*/B) |
GSCE (% 9/8/7) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20.8 | 54.1 | 78.5 | 55.2 |
| 2024 | 20.4 | 53.5 | 76.4 | 71.9 |
| 2023 | - | - | 76 | 66 |