Extracurricular Activities

Clubs

Loretto School runs more than 80 clubs, ranging from astronomy and ceramics to engineering, drama, and yoga. Younger students explore the forest school—a weekly outdoor program—while others try their hand at chess, gardening, or cooking. Those wanting to delve deeper can join Saturday Enrichment, which runs from 9:00 to 12:00 and covers journalism, psychopathology, scientific research, and even film music analysis.

Sample clubs:

• Science and technology: STEM projects, astronomy, engineering
• Arts and crafts: ceramics, origami, photography, sewing
• Movement and dance: yoga, Highland dancing, hip-hop
• Creative arts: LAMDA theatre, music
• Games and strategy: board games, chess
• Sports: golf, multi-sport

CCF at Loretto School

The Combined Cadet Force meets on Wednesdays for volunteers, developing leadership and discipline through army and naval sections. Students learn field craft, navigation, and wilderness survival, eventually leading younger cadets as they progress. In 2025, participants embarked on an 11-day Viking Telemark expedition in Norway, retracing the route of Second World War heroes. Such winter expeditions alternate annually with other challenging ventures.

Hiking and Adventure

Students in Years 2–3 earn their Outdoor Discovery Award, learning map reading and orientation before heading out on multi-day hikes with overnight stays. This foundation prepares them for later adventures in Scotland’s mountains and waterways. By Years 9–10, they tackle sailing, kayaking, Munro climbs, mountain biking, and rock climbing. Senior students then guide younger ones through expeditions into Scotland’s remote corners.

Sport

On Saturdays, teams compete in rugby, hockey, lacrosse, cricket, and tennis against rival schools. The campus features extensive playing fields, an AstroTurf pitch, twelve tennis courts, and an indoor sports hall. These same grounds regularly host performances by the Loretto Pipe Band—around 100 pipers and drummers who play at competitions, CCF military events, and sporting occasions, including matches at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Theatre and Music

Dramatic productions unfold in the campus’s professional theatre, while concerts take place in the music school, where the choir and orchestra perform regularly. Each year, the junior school prepares a musical with mandatory Saturday rehearsals from January through May. Students take on leadership roles in productions, concerts, the pipe band, and sports teams, which allows them to develop their talents while inspiring younger peers through example.