FOUNDATION SCHOOL GUIDE
Scotland Foundation School hospitals
Scotland Foundation School spans the whole of Scotland, from major teaching centres in the Central Belt and east coast cities to rural and island hospitals. The distances and settings vary considerably between mapped sites.
UKFP 2026 PRIMARY-ALLOCATION RATIO
1.08 first-choice applicants per programme- Programmes
- 1,237
- First choices
- 1,340
- After pre-allocation
- 1.09
A ratio above 1.00 means there were more first-choice applicants than programmes. It is a historical demand measure, not an individual probability of allocation.
Compare all 18 Foundation Schools across 2024–2026Possible hospital locations
The table lists the hospital sites currently shown for Scotland. Availability can change between recruitment years, so confirm rotations in the live Oriel programme information before ranking.
| # | Hospital site | Town or area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| 2 | Queen Elizabeth University Hospital | Glasgow |
| 3 | Aberdeen Royal Infirmary | Aberdeen |
| 4 | Ninewells Hospital | Dundee |
| 5 | Raigmore Hospital | Inverness |
| 6 | Perth Royal Infirmary | Perth |
| 7 | Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary | Dumfries |
| 8 | Forth Valley Royal Hospital | Larbert |
| 9 | Dr Gray’s Hospital | Elgin |
| 10 | Belford Hospital | Fort William |
| 11 | Lorn and Islands Hospital | Oban |
| 12 | Balfour Hospital | Kirkwall |
| 13 | Gilbert Bain Hospital | Lerwick |
| 14 | Western Isles Hospital | Stornoway |
| 15 | Caithness General Hospital | Wick |
| 16 | Western General Hospital | Edinburgh |
| 17 | Victoria Hospital Kirkcaldy | Kirkcaldy |
| 18 | Queen Margaret Hospital | Dunfermline |
| 19 | Borders General Hospital | Melrose |
| 20 | Glasgow Royal Infirmary | Glasgow |
| 21 | Royal Alexandra Hospital | Paisley |
| 22 | Inverclyde Royal Hospital | Greenock |
| 23 | University Hospital Ayr | Ayr |
| 24 | University Hospital Crosshouse | Kilmarnock |
| 25 | University Hospital Hairmyres | East Kilbride |
| 26 | University Hospital Monklands | Airdrie |
| 27 | University Hospital Wishaw | Wishaw |
SCHOOL-SPECIFIC ANALYSIS
What the mapped footprint shows
The largest repeated locality labels on the map are Edinburgh (2 sites), Glasgow (2 sites). In total, 27 sites are distributed across 25 named towns or localities.
Scotland recorded primary first-preference ratios of 1.00 in 2024, 1.01 in 2025 and 1.08 in 2026. The 2026 figure was higher than the 2024 figure. Across the three published cycles, the range was 1.00 to 1.08, illustrating why one year should not be treated as a forecast.
Questions to check for this school
- Which current programmes include the mapped sites, and in which training year?
- Are programmes divided into local groups that reduce travel across the full school footprint?
- Which locations would require a move, a car or travel outside normal public-transport hours?
- Have programme numbers or local allocation arrangements changed since the historic ratio was published?
How to use this information
This is an independent orientation resource. A mapped hospital is a possible location associated with the Foundation School, not a promise that a placement will be offered in every recruitment round. Use the official Foundation School and Oriel listings for final decisions.