Fettes College is set to embark on a new 25-year plan to enrich its 100-acre wooded estate in Edinburgh.

The school’s grounds were originally planted in the 1860s to prepare the landscape ahead of the construction of the school’s main building. The Fettes College grounds have since matured into a natural green space supporting a wide variety of wildlife.

As part of the long-term plan, Fettes will enhance the existing woodland, replanting native trees of different species and ages, such as Beech, Oak, Rowan and Hawthorn to maintain the historic landscape setting and preserve existing habitats. The programme also includes the creation of species-rich grassland, new wildflower areas and additional native shrubs to support pollinators, small mammals and birdlife.

The 100-acre site contains around 12 acres of woodland. Survey work has identified 77 trees that have been found to be in poor health and need to be felled, subject to formal approval. An independent expert has confirmed these trees are affected by ash dieback, leaving them structurally unsafe. Their removal will allow space for the new planting to take hold and will help prevent further decline in the surrounding woodland.

Fettes Governor William Sinclair, Convenor of the Buildings Committee, said the campus’s long history of careful stewardship had shaped the school’s approach:

“It is well-known trees play a vital role in cities, providing shade and shelter for wildlife, as well as absorbing carbon dioxide. We feel it is very important to honour the intentions of the school’s founders, and our own environmental goals, by not only preserving the campus habitats but also enhancing these where we can.

“We are grateful to our contractors, who are specialists in their field, for their recommendations and thoughtful advice. Clearly, we would love to keep all of the mature trees in our grounds, but regrettably this preventative measure is necessary.”

As the school is in a conservation area, all trees are protected, meaning statutory permission is needed to carry out these essential works, and formal approval is now being sought.

In preparation, some of our youngest Pre-Prep pupils planted a tree in the Prep School garden, with our twin groundskeepers George and Kevin McNab.