DofE Welcomed to the Palace of Holyroodhouse

During the summer, former pupils and staff joined over 600 Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award holders as guests of honour in the gardens of The Palace of Holyroodhouse.

A Gold DofE Award is a major achievement – young people spend at least 12 months honing new skills and talents, planning and completing an expedition and residential, and volunteering for a cause they are passionate about.

At the special event to mark their achievements, the Palace of Holyroodhouse gardens were transformed into a festival-style celebration for young people and their loved ones, with giant deckchairs, bunting, and garden games and activities. Attendees had the chance to hear from famous Scottish faces including Olympic athlete Eilish McColgan, singer and songwriter Nathan Evans, and legendary Scottish actor James Cosmo.

One recipient, Former Pupil Arun Uttamchandani C2020, shared his story. Arun faced particularly challenging circumstances as his expedition was suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions during 2020. Since he had finished school, Hutchesons’ DofE staff suggested an open expedition.

Open Expedition is a type of expedition where individuals can join a group to complete the expedition section of the DofE program, even if they are not part of a school that organises expeditions. These expeditions are open to anyone enrolled in the relevant DofE level and allow participants to form teams with individuals they may not know, providing a different dynamic and opportunity to meet new people.

In 2021 Arun met up with a group of strangers and completed his Gold expedition, which lasted 4 days. He told Dr Smith, his Hutchesons’ DofE Award Leader,

“We soon got to know each other, and now four years on, I am still in touch with some of them.”

Dr Smith told Arun and his parents she thought he had shown “extraordinary perseverance and resilience in what was a very difficult time.”

It was a double celebration when Dr Smith met with Mr and Mrs Nugent and their son Alasdair Nugent C2024, who completed his Gold Award in 2024, as it was followed by his younger brother Cameron who successfully completed his Silver Award expedition in June 2025.

The morning’s celebration saw His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh congratulate attendees, telling them that they should all be “incredibly proud”. The Duke also met Award holders, hearing about the positive impact their DofE has had on them.

Olympian and British and European Record Holder, Eilish McColgan, delivered an inspiring speech. She shared the lessons she’d learnt from her own career, telling the crowd to;

“find that DofE feeling again, as finding your people, your place, your purpose — it matters more than we often realise.”

Dr Smith, was also recognised for her work with the Award. She was invited into the Palace for a special reception along with around 15 other guests for their outstanding contribution to the Award scheme. Dr Smith has been involved in the Award for 29 years. She saw Hutchesons’ become one of the first Scottish schools to operate its own DofE licence – a model now followed by many others. By our estimate, she’s helped over 4,300 pupils through the award, guiding them patiently to completion, right up to the age of 25.

Dr Smith has been instrumental in supporting and encouraging pupils to complete their Award, helping the School become one of the top Silver Award providers nationally. Earlier in June, we shared that another record-breaking number of pupils had completed their Silver The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, with 90 pupils receiving their Silver Certificate so far for 2025. A significant undertaking, with pupils showing commitment to their Volunteering, Physical Skills, and memorable Expeditions – the first of which taking place this weekend for the first Gold group expedition for the new school session.

Dr Smith was presented with a certificate for her service by John Egan, Chief Operating Officer who is responsible for the strategic approach and vision for DofE Operations across the UK. He thanked her for her part in inspiring, supporting and guiding young people in their self-development and recognising their achievements.

We wish Dr Smith an enjoyable retirement and thank her for her passion and service.

L – R: Arun Uttamchandani C2020, Alasdair Nugent C2024, Dr Diana Smith.