Students attending the school come primarily from Scotland, but also from other parts of the United Kingdom.

In March 1997, the school featured in a documentary for ITV as part of its Network First strand.

[3] A follow-up programme, Blind School Christmas Special was shown in December of that year.

In 1876 the premises moved to a much larger, custom-built building, designed by Charles Leadbetter,[5] off Craigmillar Park in the south of the city, merging with the 1835 School for Blind Children.

[7] In 1991 a new home was opened on Canaan Lane and this was further supplemented in 1999 by Braeside House on Liberton Brae, aimed at the blind elderly and incorporating a sensory garden.