Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh
Merchiston Castle School is an independent school for pupils in Edinburgh.
Data last updated 24 Oct 2026
Merchiston Castle School in detail
Independent school in Scotland
Merchiston Castle School is an independent school in Scotland, on the Scottish Government's register of independent schools (updated August 2026). Independent schools in Scotland are inspected by Education Scotland rather than Ofsted.
It is run by Merchiston Castle School Ltd. The register gives it a maximum roll of 500 pupils, and records that it provides boarding.
As an independent school it sets its own admissions and fees, so contact the school directly about places, entry assessments and any bursaries.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Merchiston Castle School are Edinburgh Steiner School (1.8 miles); George Watson's College (1.9 miles); The Montesorri School Edinburgh (2.4 miles); and St George's School, Edinburgh (2.8 miles).
Edinburgh Steiner SchoolGeorge Watson's CollegeThe Montesorri School EdinburghSt George's School, Edinburgh
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Kingsknowe Rail Station, about 1030 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Merchiston Castle School (at), 310 metres away.
Sources: Scottish Government register of independent schools (OGL); NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
Scottish GovernmentInspection
Schools in Scotland are inspected by Education Scotland, not Ofsted. Find Merchiston Castle School's reports on the inspectorate's website.
At a Glance
Yes
Boarding
Keep up with Merchiston Castle School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Edinburgh City is 12 (the median across 140 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Merchiston Castle School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Merchiston Castle School
How do I apply to Merchiston Castle School?
Merchiston Castle School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Merchiston Castle School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Edinburgh City is 12 (the median across 140 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Merchiston Castle School?
Merchiston Castle School is at 294 Colinton Road, Edinburgh, EH13 0PU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)