Boarding

House System and Boarding Life

Glenalmond College is a true boarding school where over 80% of students live on campus across seven houses—four for boys, three for girls—spread throughout 330 acres. Each house has its own character that students grow deeply loyal to, while housemasters and housemistresses live alongside them with their families, creating that essential home-away-from-home atmosphere. Inter-house competitions in sports, music, drama, and academics become spirited affairs that define school life.

Girls’ Houses at Glenalmond College

The largest girls’ boarding house, Home, opened in 1998 and now accommodates 60 girls from second year through graduation. It operates on a vertical “family” system where older students mentor younger ones, fostering genuine friendships across age groups. The other two houses, Lothian and Goodacre’s, also cultivate warm environments—Lothian sits behind the music and art schools, while the newer Goodacre’s occupies the oldest part of campus in the main quadrangle.

Boys’ Boarding Houses

Patchell’s and Matheson’s surround the Front Quad in the main building, while Skrine’s and Reid’s lie a few minutes’ walk away. Patchell’s boys live by “Health, Honour, Virtue” with a particular passion for running that honors founder Charles Watson Patchell—which explains why so many end up on the school’s first teams. Meanwhile, Reid’s stands atop the campus surrounded by playing fields and tennis courts, where residents pursue success through hard work under their motto “Train Like a Champion,” celebrating their heritage through traditional themed dinners.

Daily Life

All houses feature lounges, kitchens, recreation areas, and study rooms with Wi-Fi. Day students also join boarding houses and can stay overnight when needed. The school runs a seven-day program: Saturday classes are followed by sports matches, while Sundays bring excursions ranging from hillwalking and kayaking on the River Tay to visits to theaters and museums throughout the region.