George Watson's College
Encyclopedia
George Watson's College, known informally as Watson's, is a co-educational independent
day school
in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston
area of Edinburgh
. It was first established as a hospital school
in 1741, became a day school
in 1871 and was merged with its sister school George Watson's Ladies College in 1974. It is a Merchant Company of Edinburgh
school.
(1654–1723) who bequeathed the bulk of his fortune of £12,000 – a vast sum in 1723 – to found a hospital school
for the provision of post-primary boarding education to the "children and grandchildren of decayed Merchants of Edinburgh, and of the Ministers of the Old Church thereof". He further expressed a preference for those by the surname of Davidson or Watson.
Watson was never a member of the Merchant Company of Edinburgh, but he was impressed by their running of the Merchant Maiden Hospital and so he chose the Company to implement the terms of his will. After some years, the Governors finally bought land known as Heriot's Croft, located off Lauriston
Place in Edinburgh, close to the Meadows
and opposite George Heriot's School
, and engaged an architect. The foundation stone was laid on 22 May 1738, and the building was completed early in 1741. (At the time, there was concern that this site was too far from the city, but today it would be regarded as close to the city centre.)
The school formally opened as George Watson's Hospital on Whitsunday
, 17 May 1741. The initial roll consisted of 11 boys, aged 9–10 years; by 1749 there were 30, while in 1842 pupils numbered 86, this figure being maintained until the end of the Hospital system in 1870.
In accordance with Watson's will, the Governors were responsible for former pupils up to the age of 25; they were helped to find apprenticeships and paid an allowance. Watson's stated preference was for allowing the Hospital's charges to become skilled workers, though the Governors also allowed boys who showed an ability to pursue medicine or academia.
s. In July 1868 the Company applied to Parliament for powers to reorganise their schools and make different use of their endowments to as to make education more widely available.
Watsons was thus completely transformed, reopening on 26 September 1870 as a fee-paying day school with a roll of 800 boys, initially called George Watson's College Schools for Boys.
More change was to come quickly. In 1869, the original Hospital building was sold to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
. When the infirmary sought to expand in 1871, the school moved a short distance west to the former Merchant Maiden Hospital building in Archibald Place. The original Hospital building was incorporated into the infirmary, and the chapel remained in use as the hospital chapel until the infirmary was itself moved away. The remains of the building were demolished in 2004 during the redevelopment of the infirmary site by the Quartermile
consortium, which also redeveloped the site of the Archibald Place buildings, which had in turn been demolished in the 1930s after the school moved to its present site.
, the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary needed to expand once more and was interested in the site then occupied by Watson's. At the same time, the Archibald Place building was cramped and in need of modernisation, as well as being distant from the school's playing fields at Myreside. In 1924 the Merchant Company announced that they had taken the decision to sell the Archibald Place building to the Infirmary for a "fair" price.
Negotiations over the sale took their time, as did the search for a new location. Eventually, in 1927, agreement was made to acquire the site of Merchiston Castle School
– adjacent to the Myreside playing fields – and a competition was held to design the new school building. The winner was announced in June 1928 as James B Dunn, himself a Watsonian, with a plan described as "simple, direct and masterly".
Building work on the new site commenced in August 1929. The new building, facing Colinton Road, was in a neo-classical style and sandstone-faced. It is H-shaped, extending over two stories, with a large central Assembly Hall which seats up to 1835.
The new building was completed in 1932. It was opened on 22 September of that year by HRH Prince George
(later Duke of Kent).
Adjacent to the main building is the PE
block, featuring gymnasia and a swimming pool, and also includes the school boiler house with its large chimney. Beyond the PE block is the Elementary building (now Upper Primary).
The Golden Jubilee of the creation of the 1932 buildings fell in 1982, and was marked by a number of celebrations. These culminated on 29 June by a visit from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
. The Queen spent two hours touring the campus, including a short concert, and she unveiled a commemorative plaque.
In February 1871, the Company took over the lease of Melville House in George Square, Edinburgh and used it as the location of the nascent George Watson's College Schools for Young Ladies. It was renamed to George Watson's College for Ladies in 1877, and to George Watson's Ladies College in 1890.
Building work was required to house the combined school. The main building was expanded with further science labs; the PE block grew a covered Games Hall; a new "Design Centre" was purpose-built to house art, technical and home economics departments; and a new Lower Primary building (for primary 1-3) was built adjacent to the existing Elementary (Junior School) building.
The first joint assembly of the amalgamated school was held on 1 October 1974. The school quickly found itself in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest co-educational school in Scotland, with a roll of over 2,400 pupils.
Since then the school has remained co-educational, and now serves day pupils only; previously various boarding houses were maintained from time to time in the Tipperlinn Road area, and on-campus at New Myreside House.
George Watson's College also incorporates the once entirely separate John Watson's School
, the former premises of which now house the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
.
Each autumn a group of students at George Watson's College attend The Harley School
in Rochester, NY, USA
for two weeks, during which they are hosted by the families of Harley students. The Harley partners are then sent to Edinburgh for two weeks during the spring to live with their hosted Watson's students.
The Murray Family Pavilion was opened in January 2006 as Phase 1 of the redevelopment. It consists of new changing rooms at the Myreside playing fields. Phase 2, a new multi purpose sports hall located next to the existing PE building was completed in in January 2008.
In early 2009, the school took the decision to delay work on the final phase of the redevelopment, owing to the economic downturn. Work on Phase 3 - a full refurbishment of the existing PE building - finally began in July 2010. Flagship points of the redevelopment are the stunning Ergo gym and a new social area to be known as the hub which will provide views over the fully refurbished swimming pool. The modern fitness room will be situated in the fully rebuilt central section of the existing building. Other facilities in the building will be remodeled and relocated to suit 21st century demands that the existing 1930's layout can't provide for. It is hoped this final phase will be complete by January 2012.
", a practice common in many British independent schools. Originally, the Boys' and Ladies' colleges had their own sets of houses, which were merged when the school amalgamated in 1974. The houses are:
The school operates a house competition where members can earn house points through participation in various sporting and other events including dance, choir, cinema, general knowledge and drama. They can also be awarded points for participating in and winning various sports events held within the school including house rugby, badminton and football. The first event in the academic year where House points can be earned is the longest indoor golf chip competition (affectionately known as the '9-iron blooter'), and the final event is the annual Sports Day
. The pupil heads of the winning house are awarded a trophy at the school's annual prize-giving ceremony.
The main sports of the school are rugby and hockey for boys, and hockey for girls. The school also regularly competes in many athletics, tennis and alpine events.
In 2007, the U15 Rugby Team won the Bell Lawrie Cup. They beat Edinburgh Academy
12-5 in the final. The school won the cup again in 2008. They beat George Heriot's 7-5. While being recognised as a bastion of Scottish rugby, the 1st XV is yet to win the U18 cup - losing at the semi-final or final stage on many occasions.
There is an alumni rugby club known as Watsonians
, who play in the Scottish Premiership Division Two.
The school is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
.
George Watson's College Pipes and Drums have three bands of varying ability under the leadership of Pipe Majors Iain Simpson, Ross Harvey and Drum Majors Mick O'Neill and Jim Clark. They are assisted by two part time teachers. There are currently over 200 children being taught either piping or drumming at Watson's.
Competing all over the UK at Juvenile and Novice Juvenile level, the Pipes and Drums are now one of the most successful teaching establishments in the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association. Both bands have in the past been crowned world champions and have also won the Champion of Champions award on numerous occasions.
The Pipes and Drums perform mainly at school functions however are in huge demand to play at other events including The Great Scottish Walk, Concerts and other Corporate Events. The biggest honour for many members was playing at the 2009 Edinburgh Military Tattoo
. The band had been invited to perform as a result of achieving the 'worlds double' - winning in both both Novice Juvenile and Juvenile grade at the world championships - earlier in the year. On 4 September 2010 the band were invited to play at the Braemar Royal Highland Gathering and on 16 September they will join massed pipes and drums on Princes Street, Edinburgh to mark the Scotland leg of the 2010 UK Papal Visit. The band have been extremely well received during travel to various countries including Canada, Japan, Belgium and Russia where they have performed and competed.
The Pipes and Drums were officially formed in 1905 along with introduction of the Cadet Force at the School. The band played a major role in school culture over the next 65 years until it was disbanded in 1970 along with the Cadet Force.
In 1985, the School took steps to re-establish the band. Funds were raised for instruments and uniforms and before long the band was kitted out and playing. The Pipes and Drums were fortunate to have the assistance of a number of people who were the driving force behind the band's revival. They included the then Deputy Headmaster Angus McDonald and teachers at the School Mr Norman Bruce and Mr Les Howie.
Mr Howie was appointed Master in Charge of the Pipes and Drums and in due course a parents' committee was formed to help with fund raising and development. With Mr Howie's help the band saw considerable success until work commitments forced him to step down in 1993, upon which the parent committee took over his responsibilities. The parents' committee worked tirelessly during the next seven years to raise the profile of the band within the school environment and also within the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association.
In Autumn 2000, the school appointed Pipe Major Iain Simpson and Drum Major Michael O'Neill as full time members of staff and joint Masters in Charge of the Pipes and Drums. Since then the organisation has been developed and there are now three bands which compete very successfully in the Juvenile and Novice Juvenile grades.
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston
Merchiston
Merchiston is a prosperous, mainly residential area in the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. The housing is primarily a mixture of large, late Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian villas – several of the latter by Edward Calvert – together with a smaller number of Victorian tenements and...
area of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. It was first established as a hospital school
Hospital school
A hospital school is a school operated in a hospital, generally a children's hospital which provides instruction to all primary and secondary grade levels. These schools help children regain academic progress during periods of hospitalization or rehabilitation...
in 1741, became a day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
in 1871 and was merged with its sister school George Watson's Ladies College in 1974. It is a Merchant Company of Edinburgh
Merchant Company of Edinburgh
The Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh, also known as the Merchant Company of Edinburgh or just the Merchant Company, is a livery company of the City of Edinburgh, originally founded in order to protect trading rights in the City of Edinburgh, which also carries out a significant amount...
school.
Foundation
The school was established according to the instructions of George WatsonGeorge Watson (accountant)
George Watson, was born in Scotland to parents John Watson and Marion Ewing. He was orphaned at an early age, but thanks to his aunt, Elizabeth Davidson, he was sent in 1672 to be educated in book-keeping at Rotterdam. He returned to Edinburgh to become, in 1676, private secretary to Sir James Dick...
(1654–1723) who bequeathed the bulk of his fortune of £12,000 – a vast sum in 1723 – to found a hospital school
Hospital school
A hospital school is a school operated in a hospital, generally a children's hospital which provides instruction to all primary and secondary grade levels. These schools help children regain academic progress during periods of hospitalization or rehabilitation...
for the provision of post-primary boarding education to the "children and grandchildren of decayed Merchants of Edinburgh, and of the Ministers of the Old Church thereof". He further expressed a preference for those by the surname of Davidson or Watson.
Watson was never a member of the Merchant Company of Edinburgh, but he was impressed by their running of the Merchant Maiden Hospital and so he chose the Company to implement the terms of his will. After some years, the Governors finally bought land known as Heriot's Croft, located off Lauriston
Lauriston
Lauriston is an area of central Edinburgh, Scotland. The former location of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, the area is undergoing a major re-development known as Quartermile...
Place in Edinburgh, close to the Meadows
The Meadows (park)
The Meadows is a large public park in Edinburgh, Scotland, just to the south of the city centre. Largely consisting of wide open grassland crossed by tree-lined paths, the park also has a children's playground, a croquet club, tennis courts and cricket pitches...
and opposite George Heriot's School
George Heriot's School
George Heriot's School is an independent primary and secondary school on Lauriston Place in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, with around 1600 pupils, 155 teaching staff and 80 non-teaching staff. It was established in 1628 as George Heriot's Hospital, by bequest of the royal goldsmith George...
, and engaged an architect. The foundation stone was laid on 22 May 1738, and the building was completed early in 1741. (At the time, there was concern that this site was too far from the city, but today it would be regarded as close to the city centre.)
The school formally opened as George Watson's Hospital on Whitsunday
Whitsunday
Whitsunday may be:Days:* The Sunday of the feast of Whitsun or Pentecost in the Christian liturgical year, observed 7 weeks after Easter* One of the Scottish quarter days, always falling on 15 MayPlaces:* The Electoral district of Whitsunday...
, 17 May 1741. The initial roll consisted of 11 boys, aged 9–10 years; by 1749 there were 30, while in 1842 pupils numbered 86, this figure being maintained until the end of the Hospital system in 1870.
In accordance with Watson's will, the Governors were responsible for former pupils up to the age of 25; they were helped to find apprenticeships and paid an allowance. Watson's stated preference was for allowing the Hospital's charges to become skilled workers, though the Governors also allowed boys who showed an ability to pursue medicine or academia.
Re-establishment as a Day School
By the 1860s, the hospital school system had fallen into general public disrepute, while the Merchant Company was fearful both of government intervention in the schooling system and of its own decline. The solution was to re-found Watson's, and the three other hospitals under its governorship, as day schoolDay school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
s. In July 1868 the Company applied to Parliament for powers to reorganise their schools and make different use of their endowments to as to make education more widely available.
Watsons was thus completely transformed, reopening on 26 September 1870 as a fee-paying day school with a roll of 800 boys, initially called George Watson's College Schools for Boys.
More change was to come quickly. In 1869, the original Hospital building was sold to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh or RIE, sometimes mistakenly referred to as Edinburgh Royal Infirmary or ERI, was established in 1729 and is the oldest voluntary hospital in Scotland. The new buildings of 1879 were claimed to be the largest voluntary hospital in the United Kingdom, and later on...
. When the infirmary sought to expand in 1871, the school moved a short distance west to the former Merchant Maiden Hospital building in Archibald Place. The original Hospital building was incorporated into the infirmary, and the chapel remained in use as the hospital chapel until the infirmary was itself moved away. The remains of the building were demolished in 2004 during the redevelopment of the infirmary site by the Quartermile
Quartermile
Quartermile is the marketing name given to the mixed use redevelopment of the former Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh site, in Lauriston, Edinburgh, overlooking The Meadows. The project is a joint venture between Gladedale Group and the Bank of Scotland...
consortium, which also redeveloped the site of the Archibald Place buildings, which had in turn been demolished in the 1930s after the school moved to its present site.
1932 Buildings
In the years following World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary needed to expand once more and was interested in the site then occupied by Watson's. At the same time, the Archibald Place building was cramped and in need of modernisation, as well as being distant from the school's playing fields at Myreside. In 1924 the Merchant Company announced that they had taken the decision to sell the Archibald Place building to the Infirmary for a "fair" price.
Negotiations over the sale took their time, as did the search for a new location. Eventually, in 1927, agreement was made to acquire the site of Merchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School is an independent school for boys in the village of Colinton in Edinburgh, Scotland. It has about 480 pupils and is open to boys between the ages of 8 and 18 as either boarders or day pupils; day pupils make up 35% of the school....
– adjacent to the Myreside playing fields – and a competition was held to design the new school building. The winner was announced in June 1928 as James B Dunn, himself a Watsonian, with a plan described as "simple, direct and masterly".
Building work on the new site commenced in August 1929. The new building, facing Colinton Road, was in a neo-classical style and sandstone-faced. It is H-shaped, extending over two stories, with a large central Assembly Hall which seats up to 1835.
The new building was completed in 1932. It was opened on 22 September of that year by HRH Prince George
Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of George V and Mary of Teck, and younger brother of Edward VIII and George VI...
(later Duke of Kent).
Adjacent to the main building is the PE
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
block, featuring gymnasia and a swimming pool, and also includes the school boiler house with its large chimney. Beyond the PE block is the Elementary building (now Upper Primary).
The Golden Jubilee of the creation of the 1932 buildings fell in 1982, and was marked by a number of celebrations. These culminated on 29 June by a visit from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. The Queen spent two hours touring the campus, including a short concert, and she unveiled a commemorative plaque.
George Watson's Ladies College
The reforms, which saw the Hospital's transformation into a day school, also saw the Merchant Company wish to open a school for girls. In July 1868, the Company applied to Parliament for powers to reorganise their schools and make different use of their endowments to as to make education more widely available.In February 1871, the Company took over the lease of Melville House in George Square, Edinburgh and used it as the location of the nascent George Watson's College Schools for Young Ladies. It was renamed to George Watson's College for Ladies in 1877, and to George Watson's Ladies College in 1890.
Amalgamation
Radical change was once more on the cards in the 1960s, as social attitudes and values changed around the world. In 1967, the Merchant Company announced its plan to combine the two Watson's Colleges to form a single co-educational campus in Colinton Road. This plan was not received without misgivings, but was generally cautiously welcomed.Building work was required to house the combined school. The main building was expanded with further science labs; the PE block grew a covered Games Hall; a new "Design Centre" was purpose-built to house art, technical and home economics departments; and a new Lower Primary building (for primary 1-3) was built adjacent to the existing Elementary (Junior School) building.
The first joint assembly of the amalgamated school was held on 1 October 1974. The school quickly found itself in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest co-educational school in Scotland, with a roll of over 2,400 pupils.
Since then the school has remained co-educational, and now serves day pupils only; previously various boarding houses were maintained from time to time in the Tipperlinn Road area, and on-campus at New Myreside House.
George Watson's College also incorporates the once entirely separate John Watson's School
John Watson's Institution
The John Watson's Institution was a school established in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1762. It was based in the building which now hosts the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.-History:...
, the former premises of which now house the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh, holds the national collection of modern art. When opened in 1960, the collection was held in Inverleith House, at the Royal Botanic Gardens...
.
Each autumn a group of students at George Watson's College attend The Harley School
The Harley School
The Harley School is an independent college preparatory school serving day students in Rochester, New York, United States. Founded in 1917 by Harriet Bentley, The Harley School spans from nursery school to the twelfth grade.-History:...
in Rochester, NY, USA
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
for two weeks, during which they are hosted by the families of Harley students. The Harley partners are then sent to Edinburgh for two weeks during the spring to live with their hosted Watson's students.
Capital Development
George Watson's College Centre for Sport will be the result of a 6 year major refurbishment of existing sport facilities. This is the largest capital project for the school in 70 years.The Murray Family Pavilion was opened in January 2006 as Phase 1 of the redevelopment. It consists of new changing rooms at the Myreside playing fields. Phase 2, a new multi purpose sports hall located next to the existing PE building was completed in in January 2008.
In early 2009, the school took the decision to delay work on the final phase of the redevelopment, owing to the economic downturn. Work on Phase 3 - a full refurbishment of the existing PE building - finally began in July 2010. Flagship points of the redevelopment are the stunning Ergo gym and a new social area to be known as the hub which will provide views over the fully refurbished swimming pool. The modern fitness room will be situated in the fully rebuilt central section of the existing building. Other facilities in the building will be remodeled and relocated to suit 21st century demands that the existing 1930's layout can't provide for. It is hoped this final phase will be complete by January 2012.
Houses
Pupils at the school are separated into four groups, known as "housesHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
", a practice common in many British independent schools. Originally, the Boys' and Ladies' colleges had their own sets of houses, which were merged when the school amalgamated in 1974. The houses are:
- Cockburn/Greyfriars
- Preston/Falconhall
- Melville/Ogilvie
- Lauriston
The school operates a house competition where members can earn house points through participation in various sporting and other events including dance, choir, cinema, general knowledge and drama. They can also be awarded points for participating in and winning various sports events held within the school including house rugby, badminton and football. The first event in the academic year where House points can be earned is the longest indoor golf chip competition (affectionately known as the '9-iron blooter'), and the final event is the annual Sports Day
Sports day
Sports days, sometimes referred to as Field Day, are events staged by many schools and offices in which people take part in competitive sporting activities, often with the aim of winning trophies or prizes...
. The pupil heads of the winning house are awarded a trophy at the school's annual prize-giving ceremony.
Sports and affiliations
Sport plays a significant part in the life of the school.The main sports of the school are rugby and hockey for boys, and hockey for girls. The school also regularly competes in many athletics, tennis and alpine events.
In 2007, the U15 Rugby Team won the Bell Lawrie Cup. They beat Edinburgh Academy
Edinburgh Academy
The Edinburgh Academy is an independent school which was opened in 1824. The original building, in Henderson Row on the northern fringe of the New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, is now part of the Senior School...
12-5 in the final. The school won the cup again in 2008. They beat George Heriot's 7-5. While being recognised as a bastion of Scottish rugby, the 1st XV is yet to win the U18 cup - losing at the semi-final or final stage on many occasions.
There is an alumni rugby club known as Watsonians
Watsonians RFC
Watsonian Football Club is a rugby union club based in Edinburgh and part of the Scottish Rugby Union. The club is connected with George Watson's College as a club for former pupils, but now accepts players who did not attend the school...
, who play in the Scottish Premiership Division Two.
The school is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference is an association of the headmasters or headmistressess of 243 leading day and boarding independent schools in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and the Republic of Ireland...
.
George Watson's College Pipes and Drums
Competing all over the UK at Juvenile and Novice Juvenile level, the Pipes and Drums are now one of the most successful teaching establishments in the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association. Both bands have in the past been crowned world champions and have also won the Champion of Champions award on numerous occasions.
The Pipes and Drums perform mainly at school functions however are in huge demand to play at other events including The Great Scottish Walk, Concerts and other Corporate Events. The biggest honour for many members was playing at the 2009 Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Edinburgh Military Tattoo
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is an annual series of Military tattoos performed by British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and International military bands and display teams in the Scottish capital Edinburgh...
. The band had been invited to perform as a result of achieving the 'worlds double' - winning in both both Novice Juvenile and Juvenile grade at the world championships - earlier in the year. On 4 September 2010 the band were invited to play at the Braemar Royal Highland Gathering and on 16 September they will join massed pipes and drums on Princes Street, Edinburgh to mark the Scotland leg of the 2010 UK Papal Visit. The band have been extremely well received during travel to various countries including Canada, Japan, Belgium and Russia where they have performed and competed.
History
It is said that in 1882, a group of boys at George Watson's College who played bagpipes, met on a regular basis to play together. If this is correct, it would make George Watson's College Pipes and Drums "The Oldest Civilian Pipe Band" in Scotland.The Pipes and Drums were officially formed in 1905 along with introduction of the Cadet Force at the School. The band played a major role in school culture over the next 65 years until it was disbanded in 1970 along with the Cadet Force.
In 1985, the School took steps to re-establish the band. Funds were raised for instruments and uniforms and before long the band was kitted out and playing. The Pipes and Drums were fortunate to have the assistance of a number of people who were the driving force behind the band's revival. They included the then Deputy Headmaster Angus McDonald and teachers at the School Mr Norman Bruce and Mr Les Howie.
Mr Howie was appointed Master in Charge of the Pipes and Drums and in due course a parents' committee was formed to help with fund raising and development. With Mr Howie's help the band saw considerable success until work commitments forced him to step down in 1993, upon which the parent committee took over his responsibilities. The parents' committee worked tirelessly during the next seven years to raise the profile of the band within the school environment and also within the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association.
In Autumn 2000, the school appointed Pipe Major Iain Simpson and Drum Major Michael O'Neill as full time members of staff and joint Masters in Charge of the Pipes and Drums. Since then the organisation has been developed and there are now three bands which compete very successfully in the Juvenile and Novice Juvenile grades.