Inside the ‘special’ world of Edinburgh’s oldest family business
Keeping alive the skills which crafted medals for Sir Edmund Hillary and Sir David Attenborough
In the nicest possible way, meeting Alison Atkinson at work does feel a little bit like stepping back in time. Only because the business she runs is Edinburgh’s oldest continuing family business still proudly using many of the craft skills, methods and machinery that staff in Victorian times would recognise.
The first woman to run one of the city’s most renowned small business is, however, a thoroughly modern businesswoman. She has worked for some of the world’s biggest and best-known brands before throwing all of that hard-earned experience into charting a future course for the family enterprise.
Alexander Kirkwood & Sons is a Capital institution, that has served most of the city’s plethora of even more renowned institutions at some point or another in its 200 years of history. And not just in the Capital, but august organisations further – much further – afield.
Established two centuries ago this year, Alison is the sixth generation of the Kirkwood family to run the company, and the first daughter. Her father, David, is now in his 80s and retains a keen interest after running the business for decades.
