ESPIONAGE (SCOTLAND) LIMITED
⚰️Wound downdissolved
SC199409 · ltd · incorporated 1999-09-01
Investment thesis
Company dissolved — not a live target.
Why interesting: Historical record only; useful for precedent research.
Why risky: Not transactable.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
63/100
Worth a look
What this business does
Primary activity: Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Sector: Administrative & support services
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed unclear — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 63/100 (worth a look), bankability 70/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 67). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: Company dissolved. Company has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (57/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
4 officers (1 active, 4 linked, 1 with DOB)
75
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
10 connected companies via shared directors
75
Filing history
61 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
63/100Worth a look
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Mixed signal. Worth opening the full target workup before deciding to pursue.
Business quality
30
Concerning — overdue filings or status flags present.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
67
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (27 events)Click to expand
- 2023-03-28📄gazette-dissolved-compulsorygazette · GAZ2
- 2023-03-28🏁Company dissolved
- 2022-12-27📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2022-09-11📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2021-10-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2020-10-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2019-10-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2018-10-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2017-10-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2017-09-14📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2016-10-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2016-09-14📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2015-11-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2015-11-03📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2014-10-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2014-09-04📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2013-10-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2013-10-04📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2013-04-17📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-addressaddress · AD01
- 2009-04-24➖SCOTLAND, Duncan James resignedsecretary
- 2007-09-30➖HENDERSON BOYD JACKSON LIMITED resignedcorporate-director
- 2006-05-01➕SCOTLAND, Duncan James appointedsecretary
- 2006-05-01➖HBJ SECRETARIAL LIMITED resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2000-09-27➕LOWE, William appointeddirector
- 1999-09-01🏢Company incorporatedAs ESPIONAGE (SCOTLAND) LIMITED
- 1999-09-01➕HBJ SECRETARIAL LIMITED appointedcorporate-secretary
- 1999-09-01➕HENDERSON BOYD JACKSON LIMITED appointedcorporate-director
Owner dependency
100/100
Critical — business is the founderThe business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
FACTORS
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 26 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 67 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
95/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 67. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 26 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 27 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
1 high ·Company dissolved
highCompany has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only.
Evidence: Dissolved on 2023-03-28
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr William Lowe Individual · Scottish · DOB 08/1959 · age 67 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board controlsig. influence75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control · significant influence | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
Active · Trade services · EH postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHAPTER ONE PROPERTIES LIMITED→ SC829668 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| CHARLIE MILLER HAIRDRESSING LIMITED→ SC252444 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| CHARLOTTE SQUARE COLLECTION LIMITED→ SC414112 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| CHARLOTTE SQUARE MANAGEMENT COMPANY LIMITED→ SC406347 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| CHARWOOD TAVERNS LIMITED→ SC637335 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| CHELTECH LTD→ SC837783 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| CHERRY GARDENING LTD→ SC735232 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| CHRISTINE ALISON LASER & SKIN CLINIC LTD→ SC777704 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| CHROME CLEANING EDINBURGH LTD→ SC847746 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CICSP LIMITED→ SC654104 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| CILL MHANACH WELLNESS CIC→ SC561506 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| CITADEL TEMPLE INVESTMENT LTD→ SC753253 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
9 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →🔒Advanced scoring suite
Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Statusdissolved
Typeltd
Incorporated1999-09-01
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC82990 — Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Registered office
1 Alvanley Terrace
Edinburgh
EH9 1DU
Scotland
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: —
Last made up to: 2021-01-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: —
Last: —
Officers (0 active · 3 resigned)
LOWE, William→
Activedirector · ~67y · appointed 2000-09-27
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SCOTLAND, Duncan James→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2006-05-01 · resigned 2009-04-24
HBJ SECRETARIAL LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 1999-09-01 · resigned 2006-05-01
HENDERSON BOYD JACKSON LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-director · appointed 1999-09-01 · resigned 2007-09-30
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (61 total)
gazette-dissolved-compulsory
gazette · GAZ2
2023-03-28
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2022-12-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-09-11
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2022-09-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2021-10-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-09-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2020-10-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-09-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2019-10-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-09-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2018-10-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2018-09-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2017-10-22
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2017-09-14
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2017-09-14