OSCR Scottish charity profile

The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust

ActiveCharity number SC051300
Registered28 September 2021
Main locationCity of Edinburgh
Legal formTrust (founding document is a deed of trust) (other than educational endowment)

01 Identity

Scottish charity record

Snapshot 25 August 2026
OSCR charity number
SC051300
Status
Active
Regulatory type
Standard
Designated religious body
No
Geographical spread
Wider, but within one local authority area
Volunteers
1-50 volunteers
Staff
0
Postcode
EH2 2EP
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OSCR note: 3.2 The advancement of education through: 3.2.1 the provision of assistance to any project, scheme or undertaking which the Trustees consider to be of benefit to the public or sectors of any community, with a particular, though not exclusive, focus on projects, schemes or undertakings which will benefit those in necessitous circumstances and in the Edinburgh and Lothian area. 3.2.2 the provision of training and other arrangements, which will, in the opinion of the Trustees, increase and expand the knowledge and awareness of young people working in industry, business, or commerce in Scotland and elsewhere throughout the world. 3.2.3 the provision of assistance to any other established charity which the Trustees consider to have purposes similar to either of those described in clause 3.2.1 - 3.2.2 above. 3.2.4 the provision of grants, bursaries, prizes, study or research grants, books, tools, instruments, kits or any other equipment as the Trustees may consider necessary to advance education and learning and adventure or service projects, with preference to be given to a pupil or former pupil of George Watson's College, though this preference shall not be read as exclusive. and 3.2.5 the provision of travel scholarships to assist a period of study or work experience within Europe (but outwith the UK) which relates to the economics of the country or countries in which it is carried out, with preference to be given to a pupil or former pupil of George Watson's College, though this preference shall not be read as exclusive.

02 Purpose and work

What the charity exists to do

· To encourage and provide assistance to any project, schemes or undertakings, which the Trustees will consider to be of benefit to the public or sectors of the community in the Edinburgh area. · To promote and encourage the advancement of education of children and young persons up to the age of 30 by the provision of facilities, projects, schemes, courses of instruction and training and other arrangements. · To provide assistance of an educational, social, welfare or any kind to any such children or young persons whom the Trustees consider to be disadvantaged by reason of ill health, financial or family need or in any other way whatsoever. · To provide assistance to any other established charity · To provide grants, bursaries, prizes, travel scholarship, study or research grants, books, tools, instruments, kits or any other equipment and generally any other assistance and encouragement, financially or otherwise towards the fulfilment of the foregoing objects.

Charitable purposes

  • the prevention or relief of poverty
  • the advancement of education
  • the relief of those in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage

Beneficiaries

  • Children or young people
  • People with disabilities or health problems

Activities

  • It makes grants, donations, loans, gifts or pensions to individuals
  • It makes grants, donations or gifts to organisations

Constitutional objectives

The Trustees shall hold the Trust Fund for such purposes ('Purposes') only as are within the meaning of charitable purposes 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. DECLARING that the Purposes may include all or any of the following purposes:- 3.1 The prevention or relief of poverty through: 3.1.1 the provision of an income to those persons in necessitous circumstances with a particular, though not exclusive, focus on those persons who additionally have strong ties to the City of Edinburgh. 3.1.2 the provision of financial support to those persons in need by reason of age, ill health, disability, financial hardship, bereavement, or other necessitous circumstances, with a particular, though not exclusive, focus on those persons who additionally reside in the Edinburgh and Lothian area, and to Merchant Company members who are found in reduced circumstances. 3.1.3 the provision of assistance to any project, scheme or undertaking which the Trustees consider to be of benefit to the public or sectors of any community, with a particular, though not exclusive, focus on projects, schemes or undertakings which will benefit those in necessitous circumstances and in the Edinburgh and Lothian area. and 3.1.4 the provision of assistance to any other established charity which the Trustees consider to have purposes similar to either of those described in clause 3.1.1 - 3.1.3 above.

03 Annual returns

Income and expenditure history

5 periods
Year endTotal incomeDonationsCharitable activities incomeTrading incomeInvestment incomeOther incomeTotal expenditureRaising fundsCharitable activities spendingOther spendingStaffReturn received
31 July 2026£0£0£0£0£0£0£0£0£0£00Not supplied
31 July 2025£4,091,736£4,012,878£0£0£78,858£0£126,620£17,426£109,194£0025 March 2026
31 July 2024£0£0£0£0£0£0£0£0£0£0029 April 2025
31 July 2023£0£0£0£0£0£0£0£0£0£0027 February 2024
31 July 2022£0£0£0£0£0£0£0£0£0£0023 May 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 Merchants' Hall,, 22 Hanover Street, Edinburgh
Website supplied to OSCR
mcoe.org.uk
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.