Exclusive:Prestigious Edinburgh private school boarding house goes on the market for £1.4m

Move follows controversial merger announcement last year

A former boarding house for prestigious Edinburgh private schools has been put on the market for offers over £1.4 million.

The three adjoining villas at 5, 7 and 9 Queensferry Terrace, in the Ravelston area of the city, have been deemed surplus to requirements by the Erskine Stewart's Melville Schools (ESMS).

5, 7, 9 Queensferry Terrace in Edinburgh, put up for sale by the private school group ESMS. Picture: Lisa Ferguson | National World

It comes just a few months after it was announced that Stewart’s Melville College and The Mary Erskine School would be merged into a single, co-educational school with 2,500 pupils from the start of the 2026/27 academic year.

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The decision was said at the time to be linked to a desire to avoid substantial fee rises in the wake of the Labour government’s decision to end the VAT exemption on private school fees from January this year.

The change will leave just three single-sex schools in Scotland - the all-boys Merchiston Castle and all-girls St George’s in Edinburgh, and St Margaret’s School for Girls in Aberdeen.

Known as Erskine House, the three villas on Queensferry Terrace are interconnected. They were traditionally used as boarding houses, although one was separated about 25 years ago and turned into four apartments for staff accommodation.

In 2019, the two other properties ceased to be a boarding house and were turned into school offices, while also housing a thrift shop. The original villas have two extensions to the rear, creating additional accommodation.

They are on the market for offers over £1.4m and a closing date has been set for April 24, after attracting “considerable interest”.

A closing date has been set for later this month | National World

Some former Mary Erskine boarders have also visited the properties for a final tour in recent weeks.

“Members of staff who work in the building have been enjoying watching the former pupils roaming the halls of their old boarding house and listening to stories of their time there,” a memo to parents said.

ESMS Principal Anthony Simpson said: “We’re excited to be moving to a fully co-educational school in August 2026, named Erskine Stewart Melville.

“As part of this move, we will be bringing our senior schools together on our Queensferry site and our Junior School together on our Ravelston site.

“Planning for this change provided the opportunity to review our facilities and think about what we need for the future. Erskine House, which was formerly a boarding house, and is currently home to our Thrift Shop and a small number of professional services staff, is being sold as part of this process.

“The sale will allow us to reinvest in the areas that matters most - resources and opportunities that will enhance the educational experience for our students.”

The Scotsman previously reported how the merger between the two schools had led to petitions being launched by pupils who were opposed to the move.

Stewart’s Melville College | ESMS

The schools previously operated what is known as “a diamond structure”, with girls and boys educated together in the junior school and then separated for the bulk of secondary before coming back together for the final year.

The story of the schools dates back to 1694, when the Scottish businesswoman and philanthropist Mary Erskine founded the girls' school that would bear her name.

Melville College was founded in 1832 and Daniel Stewart's College in 1855, with the three institutions formally united in the 1970s. By the turn of the 21st century, they had developed into the largest family of independent schools in Europe.