Fettes College is named after Sir William Fettes, twice Lord Provost of Edinburgh. Having lost his only son and heir in 1815, he decided to devote his wealth to ‘the maintenance, education and outfit of young people’. The size of the bequest enabled the architect David Bryce to pursue a grandiose design for Fettes College. Bryce created what architectural experts agree is undeniably one of Scotland’s greatest buildings. Fettes College first opened in 1870 educating 53 boys both fee paying and foundationers (bursary recipients). Under the formidable first Headmaster, Dr Potts, the School quickly gained a reputation for academic and sporting excellence, a reputation that has persisted and grown richer over time.
Fettes College