BY JACKIE MACKENZIE
As the new school year gets under way Portree High School has been celebrating pupils’ exams success –including one student with a perfect 100 per cent mark in Higher maths.
In S5, 17 young people gained five Highers, with six of them achieving straight A passes – Harry Matheson, Tilly Ng, Isla Preston, Holly Salter, Rory Turner and Odhran Young.
Rory Turner achieved an outstanding 100 per cent in his Higher maths paper, a feat which last happened two years ago, when his older brother Joshua also achieved 100 per cent.
Ahana Akter notched up six Highers, and in S6 the hard work put in by Megan Campbell, Lucia Ceccini-Fraser and Dylan Maughan was rewarded when they all gained five Highers.
“We had a very successful exam year,” said Tony Breen, headteacher at Portree High.
“Our S4 did very well too, with 60 per cent of our young people achieving five or more level 5 passes, with 13 pupils achieving eight National 5s, and a further 23 achieving seven National 5s.”
Mr Breen said pupils had also done well vocationally, with a number of young people gaining the N4 Rural Skills course, with others achieving N4s through the college in beauty, construction and baking.
Highland-wide, the A-C pass rate for National 5 this year has risen to 76.9 per cent, up from 76.6 per cent in 2025 and 75.6 per cent in 2024.
Advanced Higher pass rates have also seen significant improvement, rising to 74.3 per cent compared to 72.8 per cent in 2025. The Higher A-C pass rate stands at 73.7 per cent, maintaining strong overall performance across Highland schools.
Skye Highland councillor John Finlayson, chairman of the education committee, congratulated the pupils in Portree and across the Highlands.
“These achievements reflect months of hard work, determination and commitment, supported by families, teachers and school staff,” said Councillor Finlayson.
“There is much to celebrate in this year’s results. We have seen improvements across the board, alongside really encouraging progress in raising attainment for our most deprived young people, demonstrating the positive impact of the support being provided across our schools and communities.”
