The Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh

was established in the mid-fifteenth century and is today the oldest consumer protection group in Scotland.

It is believed to be the oldest continuously existing business of any kind in the country. In 2008 the Incorporation celebrated the 550th anniversary of the first ever hallmarking act in Scotland.

Today, The Incorporation administers The Assay Office - Scotland , based at Goldsmiths Hall in Broughton Street, Edinburgh.

In the year 2000 The Incorporation founded a charity called The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust which is now the owner of The Millennium Collection for Bute House. All charitable activities are carried out by The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust on behalf of the Incorporation.

The Incorporation runs a Design Advisory Service and is now making its archive of hallmarks and makers available online for the first time.


Publications - Please contact the Incorporation Secretary on inc@assay-office.co.uk for more information on any of our publications.

SILVER OF THE STARS Catalogue
Accompanying the Silver of the Stars collection. this 24-page full colour catalogue provides a witty insight into the ten celebrities and their work with ten of Scotland's finest silversmiths. £7 a copy (includes postage & packing within the U.K.).

The Millennium Collection for Bute House Catalogue
This 36-page full colour catalogue tells the story behind the First Minister's Collection of silver and the fifteen silversmiths who created it. £6 a copy (includes postage & packing within the U.K.).

Edinburgh Goldsmiths Minutes 1525-1700
Transcribed by Jean Munro, B.A., Ph.D.; Edited by Henry Steuart Fothringham, O.B.E.
This beautifully bound, hardback edition of the Edinburgh Goldsmiths' Minutes is Number 29 in the New Series of the Scottish Record Society's publications. An introduction and notes on the manuscript by Henry Steuart Fothringham, O.B.E., provide the framework from which to enter the fascinating world of the Edinburgh Goldsmiths. Absorbing information about some of the craft's best known characters is to be found alongside facts covering all aspects of life in the Incorporation, from the booking of apprentices to widows' pensions. Finding references to particular goldsmiths or subjects of interest has been made simple by the comprehensive index. This book, transcribed directly from the original source, is a must have for anyone with an interest in gold and silversmithing! Copies are £30 each (includes postage & packing within the U.K.).