FOR almost 200 years it has stood as a male-only preserve in the heart of one of Scotland's most prestigious schools.

But now the Gothic Front Quad of Glenalmond College is welcoming its first female residents as it opens its doors to new boarders.

Schoolgirls arriving at the school in Perth and Kinross for the first day of term yesterday were able to take up rooms in Goodacre’s House, the first in-quad girls’ house to be created at the school.

The development gives the schoolgirls the same choices as male pupils, who have previously been the only residents of the school's more historic buildings.

Up until 1990, Glenalmond College was an all-boys school, and girls were only initially accepted into the sixth form.

The school became fully co-educational in 1995, and has been working towards a 50/50 gender balance.

A spokeswoman for the school said: "This development will enable us to increase the number of girls at Glenalmond, to move closer to an equal number of boys and girls.

"Limitations on boarding space have caused girl pupil numbers to be capped in recent years and the creation of this third full girls’ house will allow the number of girls to grow as demand continues to increase."

Glenalmond College was founded by William Gladstone and James Hope Scott i 1847 and is based on the architecture of Oxford University

Former pupils include TV personality Robbie Coltrane, Scottish international rugby player David Leslie and newsreader Sandy Gall.

Boarding houses form the focus of the social lives of the pupils, and are said to inspire a sense of identity which stays with pupils when they leave.

It is a tradition that former pupils meet, they always ask each other which houses they were in.

Each boasts a range of facilities including lounges, kitchens, games rooms and prep rooms.

The Housemaster and Housemistress live alongside the boarding house, with their own family.