Perthshire’s Gateway to the Highlands, is home to Glenalmond College, where history meets new vision.
Think sports pitches beneath the Perthshire hills, bagpipes, tartan uniforms – an old-fashioned co-ed boarding school from the outside but with new investment and new ideas.
I’ve been here a good few times – from taking my brother and friends out for ‘tea’ 30 + years ago, to attending my godson’s confirmation last year. Thank you to Mrs Macintyre, Rosie and Elke for showing me round. Helpful to be given the low down from a Scot and an American for different views. The generations have come through, and from the outside, things still look pretty similar. However, big things are happening to Coll, and just in the nick of time.
Founded in 1847, spread over a beautiful 300 acre campus, the school is just within an hour’s drive of Edinburgh, and 15 mins from Perth. It breathes Scotland, heritage, fresh highland air, outdoors activities and a get stuck in attitude.
General
The school consists of around 300 pupils, co-educational, with predominantly full boarding. There is provision for day, and a bit of flexi boarding with buses running locally. Non-selective admission, GCSE’s, BTEC and A levels – Highers are being phased out. Saturday morning school still exists although plans afoot for changing up the format.
New Warden
Lucy Elphinstone, previously from Francis Holland London, has arrived, and brought with her investment from 35 Education and Qatar. Expect innovation and fresh vision for a generation facing the challenge of sustainability and AI.
Sports, socials, extra curricular
As a relatively small school, Glenalmond can struggle in some sporting areas. SRU youth rugby has recently been restructured to create a more realistic tiered structure – Coll is in the 2nd conference level. Plenty of space for cricket, football, and rugby pitches, alongside a nine-hole golf course. The location allows plenty of non-traditional pursuits such as onsite fishing on the River Almond, cross-country, mountain biking and clay pigeon shooting. There is an array of socials, ceilidhs, trips into the big city, drama productions, CCF and pipe band.
Academic
Non-selective, GCSE and A level results reflect the broad range of pupils. Strong is Maths, Art, Modern Languages, Music and EPQ. A BTEC in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship has been added for 2025/26. 87% of leavers accepted into their first choice of university, with 15% off to St Andrew’s University.
Boarding and Day
Boarding – Roughly 70% are full boarding, although the school are having to be a little more flexible than in the past. Still a good number. 3 boys and 3 girls houses, all with spanking new kitchens and common rooms. Upper sixth tend to have their own rooms, with all day pupils having a bed and desk. The newly refurbished Moncrieff Centre – part study hub, part café, part sixth form club – forms a natural gathering point during the week and a venue for L6th and U6th events at weekends.
Day – there are now 7 different bus routes that gather pupils from around the area. Whilst boarding is very much encouraged, day pupils are more common than before. There is provision made for flexi boarding, especially on late nights.