01 Identity
Scottish charity record
- OSCR charity number
- SC042109
- Status
- Active
- Regulatory type
- Standard
- Designated religious body
- No
- Geographical spread
- UK and overseas
- Volunteers
- 0 volunteers
- Staff
- 0
- Postcode
- EH1 1RF
02 Purpose and work
What the charity exists to do
The library at Abbotsford is the personal library of Sir Walter Scott, preserved in situ at Abbotsford in Melrose. It remains one of the most intact writers’ libraries in the world. Scott’s library came under the care of the Faculty of Advocates on the breaking of an 1839 Deed of Entail. In partnership with Abbotsford, FAACT supports the preservation, cataloguing, research, and public access of this unique collection. The staff of the Advocates Library contribute to this support. Through FAACT’s ongoing care, this extraordinary cultural asset remains protected and accessible, preserving Sir Walter Scott’s dual legacy as Advocate and author.
Charitable purposes
- the advancement of education
- the advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science
Beneficiaries
- No specific group, or for the benefit of the community
Activities
- It carries out activities or services itself
Constitutional objectives
3.1 The Trustees shall hold the Trust Fund for the advancement of education and the advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science by maintaining and preserving the Collections for the benefit of the public and facilitating the use of the Collections as an educational resource at Abbotsford, Melrose or elsewhere in accordance with the provisions of this Trust ('the Primary Purpose'). 3.2 In the event of the failure of the Primary Purpose, the Trustees shall hold the Trust Fund for such similar Charitable Purposes to the Primary Purpose as they may from time to time determine. 'Charitable Purposes' means purposes only as are within the meaning of charitable purpose in terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 as amended or superseded from time to time which are also regarded as charitable purposes in relation to the application of the Taxes Acts from time to time in force. 3.3 In the event of the failure of the Primary Purpose and the failure of the Trustees to identify suitable similar purposes in accordance with Clause 3.2 hereof the Trustees may resolve to transfer the Trust Fund to the Faculty Fund of the Faculty of Advocates (registered charity number SC010773) or such charitable body as may be its successor body as the Trustees in their discretion shall decide. 3.4 The Primary Purpose, and in the event of the failure of the Primary Purpose, the purposes contained in clauses 3.2 and 3.3 are referred to as the 'Purposes'.
03 Annual returns
Income and expenditure history
| Year end | Income | Expenditure | Staff | Return received |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2025 | £0 | £0 | 0 | 18 December 2025 |
| 31 March 2024 | £197 | £0 | 0 | 16 December 2024 |
| 31 March 2022 | £188 | £0 | 0 | 3 August 2023 |
| 31 March 2021 | £0 | £0 | 0 | 3 August 2023 |
| 31 March 2020 | £81 | £0 | 0 | 3 August 2023 |
Figures are those reported by the charity and supplied in the OSCR bulk download. Blank facts remain distinct from zero.
04 Contact record
Principal office or trustees address
- Address supplied to OSCR
- The Faculty of Advocates, Parliament House, Edinburgh
- Website supplied to OSCR
- Not supplied
- Parent charity
- Not supplied
No direct external links on this profile. The official OSCR record and source documentation are available through BritDB’s dedicated source page.
05 Provenance
Source for this profile
© Crown Copyright and database right 2026. Contains information from the Scottish Charity Register supplied by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. BritDB is an independent service and does not claim to be the Scottish Charity Register.