About us

Why Caledonia Consulting?

Now in their second year of government, Alex Salmond’s pro-independence Scottish National Party has surprised many by their confidence and, frankly, survival as a minority administration. The Scottish Parliament handles virtually all aspects of domestic policy including transport, planning, education, environment, tourism, culture and, of course, health which accounts for around a third of the Scottish Government’s budget.  That is a lot of ground to cover, and Caledonia’s team offers a unique mix of experience and expertise to help you find your way through all that matters.

In addition to significant changes at Holyrood in May 2007, all but a handful of Scotland’s 32 local authorities are now led by a coalition administration of at least two parties, and thus ending generations of one-party control in all corners of Scotland. Whether your interests are planning, licensing or local development, these changes have a direct impact on all businesses serious about working or trading in Scotland. You need to be ahead of the game in understanding what these changes will be and how they could affect you.

Based in the heart of Scotland’s Capital, at 1 St Colme Street, Edinburgh, Caledonia Consulting offers strong business discipline that combines in-depth knowledge of policy issues, with keen political awareness, vision and communication expertise. We offer a tailored service that will deliver an integral part of your communication strategy, side-by-side and supporting wider media relations programmes, internal communications and investor relations.
Government activity – at local, Scottish, UK and European level - is critical to the success and longevity of business and industry in this country. Caledonia offers focused strategic support and information for our clients to achieve objectives. Every organisation, be it charity, commercial, or public sector is regulated to a greater or lesser degree by decisions made by politicians. In Scotland, Holyrood politics can affect just about every area of domestic politics including health, education, transport, and planning applications.
We help clients steer a way through the political process and ensure that your voice is heard. This is done by building relationships and quite simply being noticed by the right people. We offer:

1. A discreet, director-led service; Caledonia Consulting does not employ junior account handling staff as we believe your business deserves better. Our team includes four former elected members with direct, first hand, experience of the City Chambers, the Scottish Parliament and Westminster. More details are listed under Our Team.
2. Detailed knowledge of the Scottish Parliament, Chamber and Committee structures, the Scottish Executive and party political policy making procedures.
3. Extensive track record. Managing Director Devin Scobie has worked with over 30 FTSE Top 100 companies and advised some of Europe's biggest corporates.
4. The highest level of client confidentiality; we offer a unique guarantee that we will not undertake work from any company or organisation whom YOU consider a competitor.
5. Sensible all-inclusive fees, agreed up front. We guarantee to offer significantly better value than any large consultancy chain. Try us.
6. A range of services which include event management (e.g. organizing an MSP dinner, party conference fringe event); daily, weekly, monthly monitoring; high quality advice on how a devolved government in Scotland will impact your business.
7. Caledonia Consulting offers a wide range of expertise within our team. This includes three Associate Directors who are not directly employed by Caledonia but who offer specific expertise to a number of clients on a project-by-project basis. This allows them to pursue other interests and ensures clients of the highest level of service at a competitive cost.

Our High Standards:

In recent years the image of political consultancy has been tarnished by stories of over-enthusiastic lobbyists seeking to exert undue or unfair influence over elected members. Caledonia Consulting operates to the very highest level of ethical and trading practices. Contact with elected members is an inevitable part of our – and your – business, but we always operate in a fair and open manner. Our team is so well known to many elected members that they would simply expect nothing less! We pledge:

1. Excellence in fulfilling our promises to clients
2. To be completely confidential, and reliable, offering trustworthy expertise and information.
3. Developing visibility for your interests within agreed target areas.
4. Leveraging from a single pool of expertise into different work streams: retainer consulting, project consulting, market research, and quality reports.
5. The highest ethical standards.