Edinburgh school catchments

Every Edinburgh address sits inside four catchment areas: a non-denominational primary, a non-denominational secondary, a Roman Catholic primary, and a Roman Catholic secondary. Catchment gives a child priority for a place at the school whose boundary contains their home — it doesn't guarantee one. Two flats on the same street can fall in different catchments, so postcode alone isn't enough; always confirm by full address before signing a lease. This page lists every state school catchment in Edinburgh, organised by area, with live rental listings, average rents, feeder schools, and an interactive boundary map. Use the address checker to find your catchment, browse the regional lists, or read how Edinburgh's catchment system works for the priority rules and key dates.

Check your address
Find the primary and secondary catchments for any Edinburgh property.
Open the catchment map

Toggle layers from the panel in the top-right. Click any polygon for the school name and a link to live rentals. Multi-polygon catchments (e.g. Canaan Lane Primary) appear as several shapes covering the same school.

Popular catchments

Primary No current listings
Bruntsfield Primary School
Bruntsfield and Merchiston. Feeds into Boroughmuir.
Primary No current listings
Sciennes Primary School
Marchmont and the Grange. Feeds into James Gillespie's.
Primary No current listings
South Morningside Primary School
Morningside and parts of the Grange. Feeds into Boroughmuir.
Primary No current listings
Stockbridge Primary School
Stockbridge, Comely Bank, parts of Inverleith. Feeds into Broughton.
Primary No current listings
Cramond Primary School
Cramond and the western edge of Davidson's Mains. Feeds into the Royal High.
Primary No current listings
Trinity Primary School
Trinity and Newhaven. Feeds into Trinity Academy.
Secondary No current listings
Boroughmuir High School
Bruntsfield, Morningside, Polwarth, Merchiston. High demand for placing requests.
Secondary No current listings
James Gillespie's High School
Marchmont, the Grange, Newington, parts of Sciennes.
Secondary No current listings
The Royal High School
North and west Edinburgh — Cramond, Davidson's Mains, Barnton.
Secondary No current listings
Trinity Academy
Trinity, Newhaven, parts of Leith.
Secondary No current listings
Broughton High School
Stockbridge, Comely Bank, Inverleith, Canonmills, parts of Broughton.
Secondary No current listings
Portobello High School
Portobello, Joppa, parts of Duddingston.

Catchments by area

Every Edinburgh state catchment grouped by region. Includes both non-denominational and Roman Catholic schools where applicable.

Southside 22 catchments
Primary
Secondary
North & New Town 18 catchments
Primary
Secondary
Waterfront & Coast 6 catchments
Primary
Secondary
West Edinburgh 17 catchments
Primary
Secondary
South West & Pentlands 15 catchments
Primary
Secondary
East Edinburgh 13 catchments
Primary
Secondary
Outlying 16 catchments
Primary
Secondary
Other / city-wide 7 catchments
Primary
Secondary

Recently redrawn boundaries

Catchments that have been redrawn in recent council reviews. Historical boundary names are kept for reference, but the canonical entry below reflects the current catchment.

  • Canaan Lane Primary School — consolidated from former Bruntsfield, James Gillespie's and South Morningside boundary slices No current listings

Full A–Z

Every catchment in alphabetical order — useful if you know the school name.

All non-denominational primary schools 76 schools
All non-denominational secondary schools 20 schools

Roman Catholic catchments

Edinburgh has 15 Roman Catholic primary catchments and 3 RC secondary catchments. Priority is given to catchment children baptised in the Roman Catholic faith first, then non-baptised catchment children, then everyone else.

RC primary schools 15 schools
RC secondary schools 3 schools

Common questions

What's the difference between catchment and nearest school?

Your catchment school is the one whose council-drawn boundary your address falls inside. Your nearest school is whichever is geographically closest. They're often different — Edinburgh's catchment lines aren't drawn by walking distance, so a flat 200m from one school can sit in a different catchment served by another a mile away.

Does being in catchment guarantee a place?

No — it gives priority. If the school is undersubscribed every catchment child gets in. If it's oversubscribed, the council places catchment children first but in some years even catchment children can be turned down at the most popular schools. The council's wording: "We cannot always guarantee a place at one of your catchment schools."

Can I make a placing request for a non-catchment school?

Yes, but they're considered only after catchment children have been placed. For high-demand schools (Boroughmuir, James Gillespie's, the Royal High) the answer is usually no. Don't rely on a placing request as your route into a popular school — rent in catchment if it matters.

What about independent schools like Heriot's or Watson's?

Edinburgh's independents — Heriot's, Watson's, Stewart's Melville and Mary Erskine (now ESMS), the Edinburgh Academy, Fettes, Clifton Hall, St George's — are fee-paying and have no catchments. Admission is by application directly to the school. If you're targeting one, address-based catchment isn't relevant.

How do I find which catchment a specific address is in?

Use our Edinburgh catchment map — type a postcode or full address and it returns both the primary and secondary catchments. The City of Edinburgh Council also runs the official interactive catchment map; for any address near a boundary, confirm with the council before signing a lease.

Can my catchment change after I've moved in?

Yes, occasionally. Edinburgh Council reviews catchment boundaries as new schools open and demographics shift. Existing pupils typically continue at their current school after a redraw, but younger siblings entering P1 after the change date may be assigned to the new catchment. The Canaan Lane Primary opening in 2023 redrew several Bruntsfield, James Gillespie's and South Morningside boundaries — a recent example of how catchments are not permanent.

Renting near these catchments?

Each of the most-asked-about catchments anchors a specific Edinburgh neighbourhood. Jump from a catchment you'd like your child in to the live rental listings for the surrounding area.

South Morningside Primary · Boroughmuir High
Morningside
Morningside guide Flats to rent
Sciennes Primary · James Gillespie's High
Marchmont
Marchmont guide Flats to rent
Bruntsfield Primary · Boroughmuir High
Bruntsfield
Bruntsfield guide Flats to rent
James Gillespie's High
Newington
Newington guide Flats to rent
Stockbridge Primary · Broughton High
Stockbridge & Comely Bank
Stockbridge Comely Bank
Trinity Primary · Trinity Academy
Trinity & Newhaven
Trinity guide Newhaven guide

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