Edinburgh school catchment areas
This page lists every state school catchment area in Edinburgh, organised by region — each with its boundary map, the streets and neighbourhoods it covers, feeder schools, typical rents, and live rental listings. Every Edinburgh address sits inside four catchments: 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. To check a specific address, use the interactive catchment map; for the priority rules and key dates, read how Edinburgh's catchment system works.
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
Catchments by area
Every Edinburgh state catchment grouped by region. Includes both non-denominational and Roman Catholic schools where applicable.
Southside 22 catchments
- Bruntsfield Primary School
- Canaan Lane Primary School
- Craiglockhart Primary School
- Gilmerton Primary School
- Gracemount Primary School
- James Gillespie's Primary School
- Liberton Primary School
- Preston Street Primary School
- Prestonfield Primary School
- Sciennes Primary School
- South Morningside Primary School
- St Catherine's RC Primary
- St John Vianney RC Primary
- St John's RC Primary
- St Peter's RC Primary
- Tollcross Primary School
North & New Town 18 catchments
- Broughton Primary School
- Craigroyston Primary School
- Flora Stevenson Primary School
- Forthview Primary School
- Granton Primary School
- Holy Cross RC Primary
- Pirniehall Primary School
- Royal Mile Primary School
- St David's RC Primary
- St Mark's RC Primary
- Stockbridge Primary School
- Trinity Primary School
- Victoria Primary School
- Wardie Primary School
Waterfront & Coast 6 catchments
West Edinburgh 17 catchments
- Balgreen Primary School
- Broomhouse Primary School
- Carrick Knowe Primary School
- Clermiston Primary School
- Corstorphine Primary School
- East Craigs Primary School
- Fox Covert ND Primary School
- Gylemuir Primary School
- Murrayburn Primary School
- Roseburn Primary School
- Sighthill Primary School
- St Cuthbert's RC Primary
- St Joseph's RC Primary
- Stenhouse Primary School
South West & Pentlands 15 catchments
East Edinburgh 13 catchments
Outlying 16 catchments
- Blackhall Primary School
- Cramond Primary School
- Dalmeny Primary School
- Davidson's Mains Primary School
- Dean Park Primary School
- Echline Primary School
- Ferryhill Primary School
- Hillwood Primary School
- Kirkliston Primary School
- Kirknewton Primary School
- Maybury Primary School
- Queensferry Primary School
- Ratho Primary School
- St Margaret's RC Primary
Other / city-wide 7 catchments
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
Full A–Z
Every catchment in alphabetical order — useful if you know the school name.
All non-denominational primary schools 76 schools
- Abbeyhill Primary School
- Balgreen Primary School
- Blackhall Primary School
- Bonaly Primary School
- Broomhouse Primary School
- Broughton Primary School
- Brunstane Primary School
- Bruntsfield Primary School
- Buckstone Primary School
- Canaan Lane Primary School
- Canal View Primary School
- Carrick Knowe Primary School
- Castleview Primary School
- Clermiston Primary School
- Clovenstone Primary School
- Colinton Primary School
- Corstorphine Primary School
- Craigentinny Primary School
- Craiglockhart Primary School
- Craigour Park Primary School
- Craigroyston Primary School
- Cramond Primary School
- Currie Primary School
- Dalmeny Primary School
- Dalry Primary School
- Davidson's Mains Primary School
- Dean Park Primary School
- Duddingston Primary School
- East Craigs Primary School
- Echline Primary School
- Ferryhill Primary School
- Flora Stevenson Primary School
- Forthview Primary School
- Fox Covert ND Primary School
- Frogston Primary School
- Gilmerton Primary School
- Gracemount Primary School
- Granton Primary School
- Gylemuir Primary School
- Hermitage Park Primary School
- Hillwood Primary School
- James Gillespie's Primary School
- Juniper Green Primary School
- Kirkliston Primary School
- Kirknewton Primary School
- Leith Primary School
- Leith Walk Primary School
- Liberton Primary School
- Longstone Primary School
- Lorne Primary School
- Maybury Primary School
- Murrayburn Primary School
- Nether Currie Primary School
- Newcraighall Primary School
- Niddrie Mill Primary School
- Oxgangs Primary School
- Parsons Green Primary School
- Pentland Primary School
- Pirniehall Primary School
- Preston Street Primary School
- Prestonfield Primary School
- Queensferry Primary School
- Ratho Primary School
- Roseburn Primary School
- Royal Mile Primary School
- Sciennes Primary School
- Sighthill Primary School
- South Morningside Primary School
- Stenhouse Primary School
- Stockbridge Primary School
- The Royal High Primary School
- Tollcross Primary School
- Towerbank Primary School
- Trinity Primary School
- Victoria Primary School
- Wardie Primary School
All non-denominational secondary schools 20 schools
- Balerno Community High School
- Boroughmuir High School
- Broughton High School
- Castlebrae High School
- Craigmount High School
- Craigroyston Community High School
- Currie Community High School
- Drummond Community High School
- Firrhill High School
- Forrester High School
- Gracemount High School
- James Gillespie's High School
- Leith Academy
- Liberton High School
- Portobello High School
- Queensferry High School
- The Royal High Secondary School
- Trinity Academy
- Tynecastle High School
- Wester Hailes High School
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
- Holy Cross RC Primary
- St Andrew's Fox Covert RC Primary
- St Catherine's RC Primary
- St Cuthbert's RC Primary
- St David's RC Primary
- St Francis' RC Primary
- St John Vianney RC Primary
- St John's RC Primary
- St Joseph's RC Primary
- St Margaret's RC Primary
- St Mark's RC Primary
- St Mary's (Edinburgh) RC Primary
- St Mary's (Leith) RC Primary
- St Ninian's RC Primary
- St Peter's RC Primary
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.
More help
- Edinburgh school catchment areas explained for renters — the priority rules, placing requests, and key dates.
- Council interactive catchment map — the authoritative source. Confirm any boundary near the edge of a catchment by full address.
- Placing request form — for applying to a school outside your catchment.
- Search rentals by catchment — filter on the main search page under "More filters".