One of Scotland’s most prestigious boarding schools failed to discipline an abusive housemaster for 15 years, an inquiry heard yesterday.

Andrew Hunter, who became head of Edinburgh’s Merchiston Castle School in 1998, admitted in email exchanges that he had become aware of James Rainy Brown’s actions that year.

However, it took until 2013 for the school to suspend Rainy Brown, who took his own life amid an imminent police investigation into allegations made against him during his 52-year career at the £28,000-a-year boarding school.

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry previously heard claims that Rainy Brown punished first-year boys by ordering them to strip naked and sit in a bath of cold water while he watched them.

Others alleged they were badly beaten and touched inappropriately, while another wrote a harrowing journal entry claiming he was raped by the teacher.

Marion Crawford, a member of the Care Inspectorate, was asked by Andrew Brown, QC, if she was ever aware of Rainy Brown’s alleged actions when looking at the school’s child protection files, citing an email from April 24, 2013.

In the email, Mr Hunter admits to knowing about Rainy Brown’s actions involving skinny-dipping with children, saying it was ‘not news to him about JRB’.

She said: ‘I asked for a copy of the audit of the file so no matter how minor anything had been handled, it would be there. Nothing had been reported to the police.’

Asked if she had known about Rainy Brown when she first visited the school, she said: ‘No, he [Andrew Hunter] had audited all the child protection that had been raised and I have to say I don’t remember James Rainy Brown being mentioned.’

Miss Crawford later told Mr Hunter there was no choice but to take action against Rainy Brown and he was subsequently suspended pending investigation.

The teacher took his own life later that month.

Miss Crawford said Rainy Brown had still been driving the school bus as late as 2012.

She added: ‘They just kept him around, it was as though they were not willing to let him go to pasture.’

The inquiry also heard from retired Care Inspectorate inspector Iain Lamb about how boarding schools, including Merchiston and nearby Fettes College, were initially reluctant to engage with visits from the agency.

The body had to begin unannounced visits instead.

The inquiry, before Lady Smith, continues.