CAIRNFLEET LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC200469 · ltd · incorporated 1999-10-01
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Oct 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: Non-trading company
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Dormant / non-trading with a 63-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 63). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (76/100)

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
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
16 officers (1 active, 16 linked, 10 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
97 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Oct 2023Oct 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2024-10-012023-10-01

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
4
filings
  • • 2 officers
  • • 2 persons-with-significant-control
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (47 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-11-17
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  2. 2025-11-17
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  3. 2025-11-17
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  4. 2025-11-17
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  5. 2025-10-24
    ➖
    CRAIG, Shannon Holly resigned
    director
  6. 2025-10-24
    ➖
    CRAIG, Stephanie Marie resigned
    director
  7. 2025-07-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  8. 2024-06-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  9. 2023-06-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  10. 2022-06-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  11. 2021-07-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  12. 2020-06-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  13. 2019-05-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  14. 2019-05-29
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  15. 2019-05-29
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  16. 2018-10-04
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  17. 2017-10-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  18. 2009-10-24
    ➕
    CRAIG, Stephanie Marie appointed
    director
  19. 2009-10-21
    ➖
    THOMSON, Ann resigned
    secretary
  20. 2008-10-28
    ➖
    THOMSON, Ann resigned
    director
  21. 2008-10-28
    ➖
    THOMSON, James Henderson resigned
    director
  22. 2008-08-11
    ➕
    CRAIG, Ian George appointed
    director
  23. 2008-08-11
    ➕
    CRAIG, Shannon Holly appointed
    director
  24. 2007-08-31
    ➖
    LITTLE, Pamela Ann resigned
    director
  25. 2007-03-12
    ➖
    MCMENIGALL, Stuart resigned
    secretary
  26. 2007-03-12
    ➕
    THOMSON, Ann appointed
    secretary
  27. 2007-03-12
    ➖
    DILKS, Leigh resigned
    director
  28. 2007-03-12
    ➕
    THOMSON, Ann appointed
    director
  29. 2007-03-12
    ➕
    THOMSON, James Henderson appointed
    director
  30. 2006-08-14
    ➕
    MCMENIGALL, Stuart appointed
    secretary
  31. 2006-08-14
    ➕
    DILKS, Leigh appointed
    director
  32. 2006-05-11
    ➖
    LITTLE, Darrin Douglas resigned
    secretary
  33. 2004-08-05
    ➕
    LITTLE, Darrin Douglas appointed
    secretary
  34. 2004-08-05
    ➖
    PRETSWELL, Moyra resigned
    secretary
  35. 2004-08-05
    ➕
    LITTLE, Pamela Ann appointed
    director
  36. 2004-08-05
    ➖
    PRETSWELL, Moyra resigned
    director
  37. 2004-08-05
    ➖
    PRETSWELL, Walter resigned
    director
  38. 1999-12-16
    ➖
    CORNWALL, John Douglas resigned
    director
  39. 1999-10-12
    ➕
    PRETSWELL, Moyra appointed
    secretary
  40. 1999-10-12
    ➖
    BRIAN REID LTD. resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  41. 1999-10-12
    ➕
    CORNWALL, John Douglas appointed
    director
  42. 1999-10-12
    ➕
    PRETSWELL, Moyra appointed
    director
  43. 1999-10-12
    ➕
    PRETSWELL, Walter appointed
    director
  44. 1999-10-12
    ➖
    STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD. resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  45. 1999-10-01
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As CAIRNFLEET LIMITED
  46. 1999-10-01
    ➕
    BRIAN REID LTD. appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  47. 1999-10-01
    ➕
    STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD. appointed
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

93/100
Critical — business is the founder

The 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 18 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 63 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

88/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 63. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 18 years.
  • 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 med ·
2 director resignations in last 12 months
medium

Multiple recent departures can indicate governance disagreement, succession event, or preparation for sale/stress.

Evidence: CRAIG, Shannon Holly resigned 2025-10-24; CRAIG, Stephanie Marie resigned 2025-10-24

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Ian George Craig
Individual · British · DOB 07/1963 · age 63
75–100%
25–50%75-100% shares · 75-100% voting01/10/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Miss Shannon Holly Craigceased 24/10/2025· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

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

7 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
Incorporated1999-10-01
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC74990 — Non-trading company

Registered office

65 Craigour Avenue
Edinburgh
EH17 7NH
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-07-01
Last made up to: 2024-10-01
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-14
Last: 2025-09-30

Officers (1 active · 15 resigned)

CRAIG, Ian George→
director · ~63y · appointed 2008-08-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
LITTLE, Darrin Douglas→
secretary · appointed 2004-08-05 · resigned 2006-05-11
Resigned
MCMENIGALL, Stuart→
secretary · appointed 2006-08-14 · resigned 2007-03-12
Resigned
PRETSWELL, Moyra→
secretary · appointed 1999-10-12 · resigned 2004-08-05
Resigned
THOMSON, Ann→
secretary · appointed 2007-03-12 · resigned 2009-10-21
Resigned
BRIAN REID LTD.→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1999-10-01 · resigned 1999-10-12
Resigned
CORNWALL, John Douglas→
director · ~69y · appointed 1999-10-12 · resigned 1999-12-16
Resigned
CRAIG, Shannon Holly→
director · ~38y · appointed 2008-08-11 · resigned 2025-10-24
Resigned
CRAIG, Stephanie Marie→
director · ~34y · appointed 2009-10-24 · resigned 2025-10-24
Resigned
DILKS, Leigh→
director · ~51y · appointed 2006-08-14 · resigned 2007-03-12
Resigned
LITTLE, Pamela Ann→
director · ~62y · appointed 2004-08-05 · resigned 2007-08-31
Resigned
PRETSWELL, Moyra→
director · ~68y · appointed 1999-10-12 · resigned 2004-08-05
Resigned
PRETSWELL, Walter→
director · ~66y · appointed 1999-10-12 · resigned 2004-08-05
Resigned
THOMSON, Ann→
director · ~62y · appointed 2007-03-12 · resigned 2008-10-28
Resigned
THOMSON, James Henderson→
director · ~63y · appointed 2007-03-12 · resigned 2008-10-28
Resigned
STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD.→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1999-10-01 · resigned 1999-10-12
Resigned

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

Recent filings (97 total)

termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-11-17
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2025-11-17
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-11-17
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-11-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-07-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2024-06-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-06-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2022-06-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-10-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2021-07-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-05