Please be advised that the Signet Library will be closed for visitors and all library and research enquiries from 23 December until 5 January. We will resume our regular services and welcome visitors back to the Library on Monday 5 January.
Our membership team can be contacted throughout the festive period at membership@wssociety.co.uk or 0131 220 3249.
We wish all our members a peaceful festive season and look forward to seeing you in the New Year.
WS GOLF SIG
Our beginners golf group are encouraging new members.
The SIG is starting a new 6 week session at Dalmahoy Golf Club, Edinburgh on Tuesday 20th and Saturday 24th January 2026 with Pro Scott Dixon.
The two groups meet on a Tuesday or a Saturday depending on your preference. These can be interchanged if one is missed.
Clubs can be provided and no special clothing is required, just something warm and comfortable.
The cost is £150 for 6 lessons.
If you would like to join, please email membership@wssociety.co.uk.
WS BOOK CLUB
Book Club meets approximately every 6 weeks, with the books for discussion alternating between contemporary award winning fiction, and more classic works. A popular genre in 2025 has been “returning to books we read when younger.” Future books the group have identified for 2026 are The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante, The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 28 January, to discuss Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico. Superbly translated by Sophie Hughes, Vincenzo Latronico’s Perfection is a taut, spare sociological novel about the emptiness of contemporary existence, scathing and brilliantly affecting. The Times Book of the Year 2025 and winner of multiple other awards.
Register for the Zoom meeting here.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT — UCHE LLOKA AWS
For our final Member Spotlight of 2025, we sat down with Associate member, Dr Uche Iloka. We talked about being a “pracademic” and what it means to be a member of the WS Society.
ANGIOLINI INQUIRY: PART 2 FIRST REPORT
As the WS Society serves a legal community dedicated to justice and the rule of law, we reflect on the findings of the Angiolini Inquiry, of which our Keeper, Lady Elish Angiolini LT KC, is the independent Chair. Following the publication of Part 2, the Inquiry highlights a sobering reality regarding the safety of women and girls in public spaces; a matter described now as a ‘national threat’.
As the Inquiry moves into its next phases — investigating broader policing culture and the crimes of David Carrick — we encourage our members to engage with the full findings.
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP — HERITAGE PORTFOLIO CONTRACT EXTENSION
A contract renewal has been signed at the Signet Library to continue our successful 25-year partnership with Heritage Portfolio Limited for hospitality. Extending the relationship for another 12 years, the new contract will see Heritage Portfolio investing in a series of improvements to both front- and back-of-house facilities to enhance the experience at the Signet Library.
Among Heritage Portfolio’s investment commitments is a significant contribution to the funding of a lift in the entrance lobby to achieve step-free access to the Upper Library. With over 10,500 guests attending being served in the building over the course of this year, it is of the utmost importance that this long-planned solution is implemented. With the support of the Keeper of the Signet, Lady Elish Angiolini LT KC, Deputy Keeper Jim Cormack WS KC and his fellow-trustees are embarking on raising the remaining investment required from charitable and philanthropic sources.
Everything Heritage Portfolio do at the Signet Library expresses the Signet Library’s brand, which is consistent across the remarkable range of activities and events that take place in this most charismatic of buildings. Whether it’s being admitted as a Writer to the Signet, attending a CPD conference, submitting a legal research enquiry, taking a historical tour, hearing a lecture, consulting archives, being served at Colonnades, getting married, attending a formal dinner, or just walking through the door — the experience will balance modernity and continuity and reflect our values of excellence, permanence, and integrity.
For a quarter of a century, the Signet Library has enjoyed a strategic partnership with Heritage Portfolio to help deliver on that promise. Long may it continue to do so.
JOHN WATSON WS RESEARCH PROJECT
The November 2025 issue of the well-known genealogical magazine Who Do You Think You Are featured the WS Society’s project to conserve and catalogue a large archive of records relating to the early year of the WS Society’s school for orphans, John Watson’s Institution. The project has been made possible by generous funding from the Old Edinburgh Club’s Jean Guild grant scheme.
Research was undertaken by Dr Kit Baston and Jo Hockey with support from our Research Principal James Hamilton.
CAROL CONCERT
Join us on Tuesday 16 December 2025 to celebrate Christmas at the Signet Library with the Choir of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral (SC014741). With carols old and new from across the world, this year’s concert is a wonderful occasion to entertain family, friends and colleagues in the run up to the festivities.
Led by Master of the Music at St Mary’s Cathedral, Duncan Ferguson, the internationally acclaimed choir consists of choristers aged 9 - 13, university choral scholars and professional musicians, and is described as ‘one of Scotland’s musical jewels.’
Not to be missed, this unique event brings together two of Scotland’s oldest charitable institutions in an atmospheric chemistry of music, architecture and Christmas tradition.
Doors open at 5.30 pm for a 6.00 pm start. The event will finish by 6.40 pm.
This event is open to all.
Tickets: £20.00 inclusive of VAT. Children under 14 free of charge.
Colonnades at the Signet Library will be open throughout the afternoon and until 8 pm for drinks before or after the carol concert. Contact Glenn D'Costa, Maître D on 0131 226 1064 to book.
For more information, contact membership.
BRIDE OF LAMMERMOOR & VISCOUNT STAIR
“We do not pretend to be amongft the Great and Rich Kingdoms of the Earth, yet we know not who can claim preference in Antiquity and Integrity,,”
2026 will mark the 110th anniversary of the 1916 donation of the manuscript of Sir Walter Scott’s 1819 novel Bride of Lammermoor which was displayed to guests at our Annual Dinner 2025.
Lammermoor tells the story of the madness that descends upon a young woman forced into marriage and separated from the man she loves on political grounds. It’s an extraordinary narrative — and one, incredibly, based on fact, rooted in real events in the life of the great pioneer of Scots Law, James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount Stair.
Stair’s Institutions of the Law of Scotland is indisputably the most important text in Scots Law. First written in 1659-62, it circulated in handwritten copies from twenty years before being printed. The Signet Library owns four of the early pre-1681 handwritten copies, and a 1667 copy was displayed at the Annual Dinner.
Stair wrote his institutions in the aftermath of the conquest of Scotland by Lord Protector Cromwell, the only successful invasion in the nation’s history. Stair’s remarkable, enduring celebrations of the “Antiquity and Integrity” of Scots Law helped see it through the 1707 Union negotiations and into its current day status as one of the great European jurisdictions. The book remains the greatest of the institutional writings of Scots Law and remains a core authority in court pleadings today.
SIG ROUND UP
AI SIG
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 14 January 2026, 12.30 - 1.00 pm. Please register for the Zoom meeting here.
ART SIG
Valerie Paterson WS, ART SIG lead, is delighted to announce the much-awaited visit to Dundee, not only historically the home of Jute, Jam & Journalism but also The McManus gallery and the V&A.
Date: Saturday 29 November 2025, 11.00 am.
Gallery visit: The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum and V&A Dundee. Both venues are mobility friendly.
You will have the opportunity to visit the painting discussed in an earlier meeting : “Two auld wifies, Dundee” by Ron Stenberg as well as eight beautiful open gallery spaces housing stunning exhibitions of art, history and the environment including the Tay Whale.
Please confirm attendance to Valerie Paterson WS.
BOOK CLUB
Book Club’s final meeting of 2025 will be on 9 December, 5.30 - 6.30 pm. The group will meet to discuss The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
New members are welcome! Register for the Zoom meeting here.
CHARITY AND THIRD SECTOR SIG
Next meeting date: Thursday 27 November, 2.00 - 3.00pm.
This will be a special session where the group will be joined by a group of final-year law students from Robert Gordon University, currently studying charity law.
The theme for the meeting is “The Life Cycle of a Charity: The Professionals’ View.”
We’ll be inviting the group to share their insights on charity formation, regulation, and dissolution, offering students a real-world perspective.
Your participation will be key to making this a valuable and inspiring experience for the students. By sharing your knowledge and experiences, you’ll help bring the subject to life and offer students a unique opportunity to engage directly with professionals working in the sector.
Sarah Brown WS hopes you can join and contribute to an engaging and impactful session.
Register for the Zoom meeting here.
AUTUMN DIET OF ADMISSION
On Thursday 13 November, the WS Society proudly held the November Diet of Admission. We welcomed 32 new members across all our membership categories, who were joined by their families, friends and colleagues.
The ceremony was presided over by The Keeper, Lady Elish Angiolini LT, and Deputy Keeper, Jim Cormack KC WS, who formally admitted our newest members into the Society.
The evening began with the swearing-in ceremony, in the Signet Library, followed by a celebratory drinks reception.
It was a wonderful occasion to recognise achievement, mark new beginnings, and celebrate the ongoing strength of our professional community.
Congratulations to all who were admitted!
Photos of the Diet can be viewed here.
FESTIVE DRINKS
We are pleased to invite all Full, Associate and Affiliate members to a relaxed evening of conversation, good company and festive cheer.
The Festive Drinks will take place on Tuesday 2 December, in the Signet Library, from 5.00 pm – 7.00 pm.
Please RSVP to membership@wssociety.co.uk by Friday 28 November.
NEW WS FELLOWS
The Right Honourable Patrick Hodge, Lord Hodge, retires at Deputy President of the UK Supreme Court. The son of a Writer to the Signet, Lord Hodge was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1983 and became a QC in 1996. He served the Scottish Law Commission, was a Judge of the Courts of Appeal of Jersey and Guernsey, before being appointed a Senator of the College of Justice in 2005. He succeeded Lord Hope of Craighead as a Justice on the UK Supreme Court in 2013 and became Deputy President in 2020. Universally admired for his intellect and courtesy, the Society was delighted to welcome Lord Hodge as a Fellow within what is the professional home of the Hodge family, among Writers to the Signet.
The Right Honourable Colin Sutherland, Lord Carloway, has been a commanding figure on the Scottish bench for 25 years, most recently as Lord President from 2012. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1977 and served as an Advocate Depute in the 1980s. He was Treasurer of the Faculty of Advocates before his appointment as a Senator of the College of Justice in 2000. He succeeded Lord Gill as Lord Justice Clerk in 2012 and then as Lord President in 2015. He was the author of the Carloway Review which looked at key elements of Scottish criminal law and practice in the light of the decision of the UK Supreme Court in Cadder. As Lord President, Lord Carloway has overseen major changes in the justice system, not least those accelerated by the Covid pandemic. Truly, a giant of Scots law, the Society is delighted to have Lord Carloway as one of its Fellows.
ANNUAL DINNER 2025
“To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?”
It was a delight and honour to host our Fellows, members and esteemed guests for this year’s annual dinner on Friday 14 November.
We are grateful to our guest speaker, The Right Honourable Lord Hodge, Deputy President of the UK Supreme Court, who spoke on the themes of change and continuity in the era of AI and populism.
Deputy Keeper of the Signet, Jim Cormack KC WS said: “It was a massive honour to chair my first Annual Dinner as Deputy Keeper last Friday evening. The lovely audience were very kind to me and laughed….in the right places!
Both Lord Hodge and former Lord President, Lord Carloway, were admitted Fellows at the dinner. As always, it was a great pleasure to have our fantastic Keeper, Lady Elish Angiolini close the evening with her remarks.
Thank you to the wonderful team at Heritage Portfolio for outstanding hospitality.”
Among many plaudits, one guest commented “[A] top evening at the WS Society annual dinner last night. A truly snazzy junket from start to finish. It was a privilege to hear Lord Hodge’s thoughts on AI and the law!”
Photos of the evening can be viewed here.
BOOK LAUNCH: A LOST SCOTTISH TREASURE UNEARTHED
We're thrilled to see the long-anticipated publication of Dr Godfrey Evans' definitive book: 'Hamilton Palace: The Dukes of Hamilton and their Collections' (NMSE Publishing Ltd).
This monumental, lavishly illustrated volume finally tells the full story of Scotland's lost magnificent stately home. Once a rival to the British Royal Collection, the palace was home to thousands of outstanding works of art amassed by twelve Dukes over three centuries, before its contents were famously auctioned off and the building itself demolished.
Dr Evans, Principal Curator of European Decorative Arts at National Museums Scotland, meticulously reconstructs the Palace's former splendour, celebrating its architecture and the legendary collections it once held.
The book is now available to purchase from National Museums Scotland and book retailers.
Members can reference the book in the Upper West Library. Please contact library@wssociety.co.uk with any enquiries.
NO TRUE SCOTSMAN: THE TRIVIALISATION OF SCOTTISH HISTORY
Chief Executive, Dr Robert Pirrie WS returns to the Curious Histories lectures series to dismantle some of the myths and prejudices in the work of the pre-eminent Victorian historian, Thomas Babington Macaulay. Delving back into the early modern period, Robert demonstrates how Macaulay's perceptions were based on surprisingly limited evidence about Scotland's development and national identity.
CAROL CONCERT
The WS Society invites you to a festive evening of outstanding choral performance and seasonal celebration at the historic Signet Library.
Join us for our annual Christmas Carol Concert on Tuesday 16 December 2025. This distinguished event, featuring the glorious voices of the Choir of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, is a hallmark of our calendar.
Held within the magnificent architecture of the Upper Library, the concert offers a perfect respite during the busy holiday season.
Booking will open soon. To reserve a place, please contact membership@wssociety.co.uk.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT — DAVID FORD WS
This month’s Member Spotlight features David Ford WS, Senior Associate at Brodies LLP. David spoke of life as a solicitor advocate, mentorship and his role on the WS Society Council.
MEMBER NEWS — AN INVITATION FROM THE 1977 CLUB
A long-established aspect of the Society is the ability of members to join (or establish) a group or club who meet once a year for dinner, these days in the splendour of the Commissioners’ Room. These are convivial evenings for a delicious meal and good conversation. The 1977 Club, originating among members who became WS in that year, now extends to all ages and areas of practice. The 1977 welcomes hearing from any WS interested in joining their company. Contact Adrian Bell WS, adrian.bell@mfmac.com.
AUTUMN DIET OF ADMISSION
We are looking forward to our November Diet of Admission where we will welcome 32 new members of different categories, and their families and friends.
Lady Elish will preside over the ceremony. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet Lady Elish and new members of the Society. We welcome all members who wish to attend.
The Diet of Admission will take place on Thursday 13 November at the Signet Library. The evening starts at 5.30 pm with the swearing in ceremony followed by a drinks reception.