“The series of inspections were as follows: January 2015 Education Scotland and Care Inspectorate, May and June 2015 Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland, December 2015 Care Inspectorate, February 2016 Education Scotland, June 2016 Care Inspectorate, September 2016 Care Inspectorate and November 2016 Education Scotland. Prior to this, between 1998 and 2015, the school was inspected regularly by HMIE/Education Scotland and The Care Inspectorate.”—Andrew Hunter, SCAI Witness Statement (17 November 2020)
At some point during this investigative archive project, it occurred to me that it would be important to include all existing Merchiston Castle School inspection reports. This would allow us to see what kinds of bodies inspected and inspect the school, what archived historical inspection material is available for different eras, and what the inspection bodies had to say about the school during what we now know—through hindsight—were its darkest days. This was not to be a simple task.
This was an unannounced inspection which took place onsite on 18 November 2025 between 12:00 and 19:30, 19 November between 08:50 and 19:30, 20 November between 08:50 and 14:00, 24 November between 08:50 and 19:30 and 25 November between 07:50 and 14:00. The inspection was carried out by six inspectors from the Care Inspectorate
A report into the exclusive Merchiston Castle School has concluded that for 60 years, “abusers were protected by tradition”. Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry chairwoman Lady Smith has published her findings on the provision of residential care at the Edinburgh boarding school, concluding that over almost six decades, there was a “more or less continuous line of indecency” from two named perpetrators.
A boys-only private school has been criticised for a culture which involved “dreadful abuse” of children almost continuously for six decades. The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry report into Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh found that from the 1950s to the second decade of the 21st century, there was a “more or less continuous line of indecency” from two named perpetrators.
Abuse at a boarding school for boys in Edinburgh was “normalised for generations”, the chair of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry has said. Lady Smith published her findings on Wednesday relating to the provision of residential care for children at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh.
Pupil comment: “We are forced to go to chapel. The teachers say it is not solely for Christianity and any religion is welcome, but they sing Christian hymns and pray to the Christian god. I’d rather not go to chapel.”
Merchiston Castle School, where the day pupil fees are £21,495 per year, requires additional support according to Education Scotland. The school’s Board of Governors with its newly appointed Chair, Gareth Baird, is to work with the Independent Schools Link Inspector to make further improvements and monitor progress. The latest inspection report demands that the school works on ensuring that pupils feel able to report concerns in a safe environment.
Police are probing claims a former female teacher at a top private school in Edinburgh had inappropriate relationships with pupils. Merchiston Castle, which is already co-operating with an investigation into claims of historical abuse, contacted the single force over alleged behaviour that is said to have occurred more recently. Earlier this year, the Care Inspectorate “identified concerns about the quality of child protection practice” at the elite school.
A recent inspection at Merchiston Castle School in Colinton has confirmed that improvements already identified by the school now need urgent attention according to the report issued today by Education Scotland. In October 2014, Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate carried out a short notice care and welfare inspection at the school.
