St George’s Edinburgh is selling Lansdown House which sits on a 2.2-acre plot in Murrayfield in order to fund a new building within the grounds of the main school, insider.co.uk has reported.

St George’s Edinburgh is an independent boarding, nursery, and day school for girls aged 3-18.

It is undertaking a modernisation programme which involves relocating the lower school campus from the Lansdown site to the main campus in time for the 2025/26 school year

Lansdowne House was built in 1875 as a private dwelling. It is category C-listed, has is an original lodge house, stone boundary wall, and gate piers.

The property also includes modern extensions, an original stable building, and two sports pitches.

Savills has been appointed to oversee the sale.

Danielle Corker, associate director at Savills in Edinburgh, said: “This must be one of the most-attractive residential development opportunities on the market in Scotland, with the Water of Leith, Murrayfield Stadium, and the National Galleries on the doorstep.

“While we anticipate Lansdowne will be hotly contested, we will prioritise finding the right buyer who will respect the history and legacy of the site and the wider local community.

“Savills Planning has submitted a pre-application enquiry to Edinburgh City Council, but necessary permissions will be required to be met in respect of listed status, design, amenity, open space and parking.”

Carol Chandler-Thompson, head of St George’s School, added: “It is of great importance to us to honour our school’s past and to balance maintaining a beautiful, historic campus, with ensuring St George’s offers the best 21st-century educational environment.

“We have a carefully-considered, pro-active future strategy to ensure we constantly improve all aspects of our school and school experience.

“The history of Lansdowne House as a stand-alone school, and indeed as part of St George’s, is a highly-valued part of local and school history.

“We are fully committed to keeping the fabric and legacy of Lansdowne House part of our identity as we move forward.

“However, currently being split across two sites causes logistical challenges and increased costs of maintenance.

“The Lansdowne building is beautiful, but facilities like this are very difficult to renovate and suitably equip with sustainable and modern technology.

“As the house ages, its ongoing maintenance becomes ever more impractical and expensive.

“The new building’s design will reflect the importance St George’s has long placed upon developing the pupils’ skills for the future: problem solving, team-working, generating creative solutions, testing hypotheses, and using their voice to communicate ideas to peers and wider audiences.”