HEBRIDEAN SEAWEED COMPANY LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
SC288738 · ltd · incorporated 2005-08-11
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Steady and tidy — no seller pressure yet. Approach only if an angle opens.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
  • · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
What changed my view
Last 30 days

No material changes in the last 30 days.

Last 90 days

No material changes in the last 90 days.

Last 180 days

No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.

🔒Estimated value
Upgrade to see
Turnover
not disclosed
Net worth
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other manufacturing n.e.c.
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 76-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 76). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

5 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 20.7y

35/100
too messy

Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.

  • · Oldest live charge is 20.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

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
5 charges (5/5 with lender, 5/5 with type)
90
Directors & officers
9 officers (6 active, 9 linked, 7 with DOB)
86
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 4 total, 4 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
84 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
1
filing
  • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (38 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-07-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-09-10
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  3. 2025-09-03
    AUCHINCLOSS, Leslie resigned
    director
  4. 2025-06-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  5. 2025-02-12
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  6. 2025-02-12
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  7. 2025-02-11
    O'CONNELL, Shane appointed
    director
  8. 2025-02-11
    O'SULLIVAN, Francis Gerard appointed
    director
  9. 2024-07-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  10. 2024-02-07
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  11. 2024-02-07
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  12. 2023-09-05
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  13. 2023-05-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  14. 2022-05-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  15. 2021-10-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  16. 2021-09-08
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  17. 2021-09-08
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  18. 2020-07-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  19. 2019-06-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  20. 2019-04-09
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  21. 2019-01-23
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  22. 2019-01-18
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
  23. 2019-01-18
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
  24. 2018-12-17
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
  25. 2018-12-15
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  26. 2018-12-07
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  27. 2016-12-30
    ROBERTSON, James Ian Alexander resigned
    director
  28. 2016-11-30
    FARROW, Stephen John appointed
    director
  29. 2016-11-30
    AUCHINCLOSS, Leslie appointed
    director
  30. 2009-11-04
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited
  31. 2009-10-12
    ROBERTSON, James Ian Alexander appointed
    director
  32. 2005-11-08
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  33. 2005-08-11
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As HEBRIDEAN SEAWEED COMPANY LIMITED
  34. 2005-08-11
    MACRAE, Malcolm Robert appointed
    secretary
  35. 2005-08-11
    MACLEOD, Martin appointed
    director
  36. 2005-08-11
    MACRAE, Malcolm Robert appointed
    director
  37. 2005-08-11
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  38. 2005-08-11
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary

Owner dependency

65/100
High — earn-out structure required

Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.

FACTORS
  • -5 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 21 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 76 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

80/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 76 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 21 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

1 med ·
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Leslie Auchincloss
Individual · British · DOB 06/1933 · age 93
75100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control · trust interest06/04/2016
3 historic (ceased) PSCs
  • Mr Martin Macleodceased 31/03/2021· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
  • Mr Martin Macleodceased 29/04/2016· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
  • Marigot Limitedceased 06/04/2016· 50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control

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 →

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

8 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

Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated2005-08-11
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC32990 — Other manufacturing n.e.c.

Registered office

Hebridean Seaweed Company Limited
Plot 1.3 Arnish Point Industrial Estate
Isle Of Lewis
HS2 9JY
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-09-30
Last made up to: 2025-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-09-12
Last: 2025-08-29

Officers (6 active · 3 resigned)

MACRAE, Malcolm Robert
secretary · appointed 2005-08-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
FARROW, Stephen John
director · ~76y · appointed 2016-11-30
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MACLEOD, Martin
director · ~51y · appointed 2005-08-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MACRAE, Malcolm Robert
director · ~56y · appointed 2005-08-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
O'CONNELL, Shane
director · ~46y · appointed 2025-02-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
O'SULLIVAN, Francis Gerard
director · ~60y · appointed 2025-02-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2005-08-11 · resigned 2005-08-11
Resigned
AUCHINCLOSS, Leslie
director · ~93y · appointed 2016-11-30 · resigned 2025-09-03
Resigned
ROBERTSON, James Ian Alexander
director · ~83y · appointed 2009-10-12 · resigned 2016-12-30
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Mortgages & charges

5
Total charges
3
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:5 of 5 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank PLC
A registered charge1 property18/01/2019
outstanding
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank PLC
A registered charge1 property18/01/2019
outstanding
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank PLC
A registered charge17/12/2018
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited
Bond & floating charge1 property04/11/200915/12/2018
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Bond & floating charge1 property08/11/200507/12/2018
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (84 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2026-07-03
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-09-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2025-06-23
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2025-02-12
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2025-02-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2024-07-12
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-02-07
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2024-02-07
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2023-09-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2023-05-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2022-05-30