Branching out
For the first three years, Scottish Widows operated from the home and business residence of its manager, William Wotherspoon, in Brown Square, Edinburgh. In 1817, Wotherspoon moved his office to 71 Princes Street - a prime location in Edinburgh's up and coming New Town. Following Wotherspoon's death, the Society purchased a property at 2 St David Street. Then in 1826, it moved to 5 St Andrew Square.
The growing demands of the business meant that in 1832, the Society needed to extend these premises. They commissioned the eminent sculptor, Sir John Steell, to embellish the building. Steell carved a symbolic group of figures: a widow with her children, sheltering at the feet of the goddess of Plenty (Ceres). It was inspired by the decorative emblem used on the Society's policy documents.
In 1857, the Western Bank of Scotland went spectacularly bust. Its assets were sold off, including its premises at 9 St Andrew Square. The building was bought by Scottish Widows in 1859, and became its new head office. It was to occupy this site for more than a century.
