Fettes College

Fettes College stands on 120 hectares of wooded grounds in Craigleith, a district of Edinburgh. The Bryce Building, designed by David Bryce in the 19th century, forms the main structure of the campus. Originally a boys’ boarding school founded in 1870, it became co-educational in 1983. The school once included a nine-hole golf course, an outdoor swimming pool in winter and ice rink in summer, a cross-country track and a rifle range. Its history began with a bequest from Sir William Fettes, a former Lord Provost of Edinburgh. The college is recognised among the world’s 150 best private schools and the UK’s top 30 senior schools. During the First World War, 246 former pupils died while 1,094 served; a war memorial with the words “carry on” was unveiled in 1921. In 1955 Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the school, and in 1954 a new running track opened. Former pupil Sean Connery once delivered milk to the school as a young man. Visitors walk past the Bryce Building and the chapel enlarged in 1948 with a chancel and gallery. The school’s nine houses each have their own character, and pupils take English GCSEs and either A Levels or the International Baccalaureate. Afternoons are filled with sports such as rugby, hockey and cricket, while evenings offer clubs including debating, drama, music and robotics. The forested grounds provide paths for cross-country running and views over the city.