A study of the HMIE website reveals that of the many Scottish independent boarding schools inspected since 1999, the Merchiston 'very good' tally has outstripped all its competitors.

Merchiston continues to achieve academic excellence, a point clearly underlined by the most recent exam results: at A-level, an impressive 73% of the papers sat were at A and B grade, with 76% of leavers gaining entrance to their first choice of university; at GCSE, the School recorded its best statistics to date, with 60% of the papers at A* and A grade.

Outwith the classroom, noteworthy achievements have included representation in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, gold awards in the UK Maths Challenge and first place in the Scottish Fianls of the Young Engineer for Britain Award.

Sport has again thrived: for the first time in the School's history, its 1st XI cricket team was victorious in every one of its School matches.

The most recent examination of the overall sporting picture revealed that Merchiston had 21 pupils who achieved international recognition, with 12 different sports represented.

Summer holiday tours and visits have been varied and numerous, and include involvement in a community project to Fiji and a Pipe Band Tour to Brittany.

Nearer to home, the Sub-Aqua Club organized an expedition to the Outer Hebrides and the Shooting Team again returned to Bisley.

Having recently completed a new junior school teaching complex and the complete refurbishment of  science laboratories, Merchiston is now turning its attention to the building of a state-of-the-art Sixth Form House.