The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh, is a charitable organisation for business and professional people which is dedicated to supporting the young and the elderly. Nowadays usually known as The Merchant Company, it has been enriching the life of Scotland’s capital for more than 300 years. The Merchant Company’s original purpose was to protect trading rights in the City of Edinburgh. Today, over 540 businessmen and women are Members of the Company, actively involved at the heart of the city in educational and charitable works, as well as continuing to hold a central role in the civic life of Edinburgh. The Company is also Scotland’s most pre-eminent livery company.