EDINBURGH ATELIER OF FINE ART LTD
💤Zombieactive
SC400997 · ltd · incorporated 2011-06-06
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 Mar 2025
Net worth
£-76.3k
book net assets
Opportunity
74/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Cultural education
Sector: Education
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 74/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. 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: distressed disposal / insolvency (65/100).
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
6 officers (2 active, 6 linked, 3 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
48 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
74/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
55
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102Negative net assets
Liabilities exceed assets by £76,308
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£2k
Net Worth
-£76k
↓ 29% YoY
Current Assets
£2k
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £-76.3k | £-59.2k |
| Current assets | £2.1k | — |
| Cash | £2.1k | — |
| Net assets | £-76.3k | £-59.2k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (27 events)Click to expand
- 2026-01-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-12-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-19📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2022-12-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-12-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-09-17📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2021-09-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-09-08📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2021-09-07📄administrative-restoration-companyrestoration · RT01
- 2021-08-10📄gazette-dissolved-compulsorygazette · GAZ2
- 2021-05-25📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2019-12-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-11-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-10-17📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2014-08-20➕MCNAUGHTON, Ewan appointedsecretary
- 2014-08-20➖MCNAUGHTON, Alisdair resignedsecretary
- 2014-08-20➖MCNAUGHTON, Alisdair resigneddirector
- 2012-09-17➕MCNAUGHTON, Alisdair appointedsecretary
- 2012-09-17➖YOUNG, Jennifer resignedsecretary
- 2012-09-17➖YOUNG, Jennifer resigneddirector
- 2011-06-06🏢Company incorporatedAs EDINBURGH ATELIER OF FINE ART LTD
- 2011-06-06➕MCNAUGHTON, Ewan appointeddirector
- 2011-06-06➕YOUNG, Jennifer appointedsecretary
- 2011-06-06➕MCNAUGHTON, Alisdair appointeddirector
- 2011-06-06➕YOUNG, Jennifer appointeddirector
Owner dependency
75/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
Succession & seller-readiness
58/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 15 years.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Ewan Mcnaughton Individual · British · DOB 10/1979 · age 47 | 75–100% | 75–100% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting | 07/06/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Education & training · EH postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLYDE STRENGTH LTD→ SC873978 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DAKUSFRAN LIMITED→ SC739300 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| DAWN CALLING CIC→ SC791187 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| DIRECT PARTNERS LIMITED→ SC244443 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| DISABILITY EQUALITY SCOTLAND→ SC243392 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| DOUGLAS J. NOBLE LIMITED→ SC247234 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| E C SCOTLAND LIMITED→ SC426926 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
| EASTERHOUSE (HENOSIS) LTD→ SC755545 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| EDINBURGH CRICKET AND SPORTS CLUB→ SC714619 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| EDINBURGH CYCLE TRAINING LIMITED→ SC531303 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| EDINBURGH DANCE ACADEMY LIMITED→ SC246722 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| EDINBURGH EQUILEARN CIC→ SC738354 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2011-06-06
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC85520 — Cultural education
Registered office
65-67 Commercial Street
Customs House
Edinburgh
EH6 6LH
Scotland
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-06-20
Last: 2025-06-06
Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)
Active
MCNAUGHTON, Ewan→
Activedirector · ~47y · appointed 2011-06-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MCNAUGHTON, Alisdair→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2012-09-17 · resigned 2014-08-20
YOUNG, Jennifer→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2011-06-06 · resigned 2012-09-17
MCNAUGHTON, Alisdair→
Resigneddirector · ~49y · appointed 2011-06-06 · resigned 2014-08-20
YOUNG, Jennifer→
Resigneddirector · ~42y · appointed 2011-06-06 · resigned 2012-09-17
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (48 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-01-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-06-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-06-19
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2023-06-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-12-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-06-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-12-15
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2021-09-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-09-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-09-08
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2021-09-08
administrative-restoration-company
restoration · RT01
2021-09-07