News articles and press releases
On Friday 5 November 2021 Mr Alan Robertson was confirmed as the 267th Master of the Royal Company of Merchants at the Kirking of the Master service in St Giles’ Cathedral. Alan is a chartered surveyor and spent the majority of his 35 career with international real estate services firm JLL, initially in Scotland where he […]
Following the Stated Meeting of the Company on Thursday 7th October, a copy portrait of the Rev. Robert Cunningham by John A Horsburgh, was unveiled by his great great nephew, Captain Christopher Hall. The Master, Peter Hillier indicated that the Rev. Cunningham was the founder of the Edinburgh Institution, which became Melville College and then […]
Cate Smith is an artist based in Edinburgh, and a beneficiary of The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh, Sir John Foster Fraser Fund. She completed a BA(Hons) Painting at Edinburgh College of Art in 2013 and a MLitt Fine Art (Painting) at Glasgow School of Art in 2014 and is currently […]
We are delighted that our Members’ Dinner will go ahead this year, in the Hall, on Friday 10 December 2021. Members are encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment. The ticket price for the dinner remains at £100 per person and the dress code is black tie. On this occasion, we will be entertained by […]
A sunny Friday evening brought a large group of Company members together virtually to celebrate the history, cultural significance and healing qualities of Gin and its various tonics from those good people at Edinburgh Gin and Ian Macleod Distillers. Philip and Mia educated us on the processes and wizardry of master distiller Dave, in bringing […]
Our Master, Peter Hillier, represented the Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh at the formal opening of George Watson’s College’s John Martin Building by HRH The Princess Royal, a Past Master of the Merchant Company. This project has extended the Junior School building to provide modern, bright classrooms, a new Junior School […]
Our Business Breakfast meeting this month was held via Zoom and featured Jacqui Low, who is known to many of the members as a former Assistant on the Master’s Court, Executive Chairman of Indigo and Chairman of Partick Thistle Football Club. The members and guests who attended were treated to a highly interesting and thought-provoking […]
How do you experience the artwork that defines the Merchant Company at a time that prevents people joining together? It seems the answer for this question is the same as has been the answer for most things over the last five months – Zoom. And so it came to pass, that on Thursday 20 August, […]
At 12.31pm on Thursday 18 June 2020 a unique meeting in the history of the Company took place. Given the lockdown situation members could not attend the Merchants’ Hall for the usual June Stated Meeting of the Company. Hence the meeting was held using Zoom, a medium unknown to many before lockdown but now quite […]
The Royal Company of Merchants is not alone in finding itself having to adjust to the impact of COVID-19 on its operations. The Company has been operating as near to normal as possible, with meetings becoming virtual and staff working from home. Clearly there have been no members events held, and we were very sad […]
