A small School, big on heart, big on ambition.
Our changing world is full of challenges and opportunities for young people. Finding a school that can provide an all-round education to fully prepare them for what lies ahead is vital. Loretto is that school.
Founded in 1827, Loretto is Scotland’s first boarding school. Today an independent, private, boarding and day school, it welcomes girls and boys, from 3 to 18 years.
Set in a safe, leafy 85-acre campus just six miles from Edinburgh, Loretto enjoys all the advantages of this rural setting while being globally connected – the School is just nine kilometres/six miles from Scotland’s capital city, its international airport, rail, and road networks.
Welcoming just over 500 pupils across the Junior School and Senior School, the first thing you notice when you enter Loretto's campus is the warmth and energy of both pupils and staff. Relationships are marked by kindness, care and respect; a truly special environment for providing the confidence and know-how to thrive in life beyond Loretto. More than nine pupils out of ten achieve places at their chosen onwards destination, many attending top universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, Newcastle and Durham, as well as American universities.
Loretto’s foundational belief is that each child has unique potential. The small nature of Loretto allows staff to know each child individually, whether they be our youngest pupils in Loretto’s Pre-School, or our oldest pupils in Upper Sixth. Our staff will help find where a pupil’s interests may lie and there is a distinct emphasis on the individual development of each child in mind, body and spirit.
Loretto has a whole-school approach and Junior School pupils, or ‘The Nippers’ as they are affectionately known, enjoy the same, safe, supporting and stimulating environment as Senior School pupils. They also benefit from exceptional shared facilities such as the playing fields, Theatre, Sports Hall and Music School.
Loretto, with its superb location on Scotland's Golf Coast, also has a strong tradition of top-level golf. The school's surrounding area of East Lothian offers a choice of magnificent links courses and, in 2002, this tradition blossomed into The Golf Academy. The Academy is now regarded as one of Europe's leading golf academies where pupils can develop their sporting talent in tandem with an exceptional education.
Directed by a team of top-class PGA professional coaches, Loretto offers golfers access to state-of-the-art practice centres, and an abundance of local, accessible golf courses. These innovative practice facilities include a nine-hole artificial putting green, several driving bays, bunker and chipping areas, and a putting studio with video analysis and Trackman.
From day one, Loretto’s founder was dedicated to blending academic excellence with a wealth of experiences beyond the classroom. The enormous range of co-curricular activities offered ensures that each pupil can grow and develop wherever their interests and talents may lie. The School’s achievements in music, art, drama and its strong reputation in sporting endeavours – both in major team sports and other sports – are testament to that.
Ultimately, to really understand the warm and welcoming atmosphere that makes Loretto different, you have to experience the School in person. So please come along for a visit – you will soon see why our pupils are so proud to be called Lorettonians.
Fees per term (2024-2025). Day: £3,624–£9,636 per term; Full Boarding: £11,066–£14,140 per term; Flexi Boarding: £8,814–£11,888 per term.
Admission. Applications are accepted for entry into most years in the School from aged three upwards, except Upper Sixth (Year 13). Loretto’s Admissions team work alongside families through the whole admissions process to ensure pupils are happy, successful and secure within Loretto’s academic, cultural and pastoral environment, whether they are boarders, flexi or day pupils.
Scholarships and bursaries. Applications for Academic, Golf, Music, Piping & Drumming and Sport Scholarships are open to all pupils entering Second Form through to Lower Sixth (current and new), with Art and Drama Scholarships also open to all pupils entering Third Form through to Lower Sixth (current and new). Awards provide up to 10% discount on Day fees. Means-tested bursaries are available for up to 105%.