Martin Aitken & Co Ltd

Name

Martin Aitken & Co Ltd

Legal name

Martin Aitken & Co Ltd

Website

https://maco.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accounting & Business Advisory Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Reporting & Technical Accounting Advisory (GAAP/IFRS) (BPAHABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Equity Capital Advisory (Private Equity Placements, Growth Capital) (BPAHAOAE), Fraud Risk Management & Anti-Bribery/Anti-Corruption (ABAC) (BPAHAFAL), Family Office Advisory & Outsourced CIO (OCIO) (FSAAADAC)

Keywords

• Chartered accountancy
• Audit and assurance
• Business advisory
• Financial planning
• Tax advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Core offering

Martin Aitken & Co Ltd was a chartered accountancy and business advisory firm providing accounting, audit and assurance, tax, corporate finance, financial planning and wealth management, outsourced finance services, and specialist sector advisory to businesses and individuals. Following its acquisition by Armstrong Watson, the team operates as part of the Armstrong Watson integrated practice delivering these services to clients across Scotland and the wider UK.

Product overview

Martin Aitken & Co Ltd, now operating as part of Armstrong Watson following its acquisition, offers a unified platform of accounting, audit, financial planning, and advisory services. The core offering consists of Accounting, Audit & Assurance Services paired with Advisory Services, with specialized add-on modules including Cloud Accountancy (Xero), Financial Planning & Wealth Management, Outsourced Financial Services, Corporate Finance, Cyber Security Solutions, International Accounting, and Pension Schemes Audit. Sector-specific services provide tailored expertise across industries including agriculture, legal, healthcare, and technology. The portfolio is delivered through Armstrong Watson's integrated practice model following the acquisition of Martin Aitken & Co and Martin Aitken Financial Services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accounting Services Core accounting, bookkeeping and financial statement preparation service delivered to businesses and individuals, with bespoke accounting and systems advisory.
• Audit & Assurance Statutory audit and assurance engagements, including pension scheme audit, delivered to corporate, charity and other regulated entities requiring independent assurance.
• Cloud Accountancy (Xero) Cloud-based accountancy service delivered on the Xero platform, including Making Tax Digital (MTD) compliance, Xero support packages and ongoing digital bookkeeping for businesses.
• Financial Planning & Wealth Management In-house chartered financial planning and wealth management service for individuals and businesses covering pensions, retirement planning, inheritance tax and estate planning, business financial planning, Court of Protection and professional deputy services, and trustee and charity financial planning.
• Tax Advisory Services Tax advisory service encompassing tax planning, HMRC enquiry defence and negotiation with HMRC on behalf of businesses and individuals.
• Corporate Finance Advisory Corporate finance advisory covering business valuations, buying and selling businesses, financial due diligence, management buyouts and private equity transactions.
• Business Funding & Debt Advisory Advisory service supporting clients in raising business funding, structuring debt and arranging appropriate finance options.
• Business Rescue, Restructuring & Insolvency Restructuring and insolvency advisory for distressed or turnaround situations, including advice to directors and stakeholders on rescue and recovery options.
• Strategic Business Advice Strategic business advisory supporting growth, performance improvement and key decision-making for owner-managed and mid-market clients.
• Forensic Accounting Forensic accounting support for disputes, investigations and litigation, delivered for businesses, advisors and legal teams.
• Cyber Security Solutions Cyber security advisory and risk management services to help businesses identify, mitigate and respond to digital threats.
• Outsourced Accountancy Services Outsourced finance function service including virtual finance department delivery, fractional FD and CFO support, and payroll and employee services.
• Payroll & Employee Services Dedicated payroll bureau and employee services delivered to UK employers, covering payroll processing, auto-enrolment and related employment administration.
• International Accounting & Business Services (MSI) International accounting and cross-border business advisory delivered through the MSI global accounting network, with doing-business-overseas guides for clients expanding internationally.
• Sector-Specific Advisory Specialist accounting and advisory services tailored to over twenty industry verticals including agriculture, landed estates, charities, dental, education, energy & renewables, family business, food & drink, hospitality, hotels, independent retail, legal sector, manufacturing, property & construction, science & technology, automotive, healthcare services, holiday parks, and transport & haulage.

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Armstrong WatsoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026Armstrong Watson, a business advisory and accounting firm, acquired Martin Aitken and Parkhill Mackie in Glasgow. Ewen Dyer and the team from Martin Aitken & Co and Martin Aitken Financial Services joined Armstrong Watson's Seaward Street office, operating as a single integrated practice. The acquisition significantly enhanced Armstrong Watson's expertise and capacity in Glasgow, with the combined team providing comprehensive accounting, tax, financial planning, and strategic business advisory services.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Hardie Caldwell: Scottish chartered accountancy firm providing accounting, tax, audit and advisory services to SMEs. Operates in the same Glasgow/Scottish market as Martin Aitken & Co with a closely comparable service profile.
• Thomson Cooper: Scottish chartered accountancy firm with offices across Scotland. Comparable as a regional peer serving SME and mid-market clients with accounting, audit and tax advisory offerings.

Direct peers

• RSM UK: UK mid-tier audit, tax and consulting firm with established Scottish offices offering services directly overlapping with Martin Aitken & Co's audit, tax advisory and corporate finance practice.
• PKF Smith Cooper: UK mid-tier chartered accountancy and business advisory firm with regional offices. Comparable service mix spanning accounting, audit, tax and corporate finance for owner-managed and mid-sized businesses.
• Henderson Loggie: Long-standing Dundee-based Scottish chartered accountancy firm offering accounting, audit, tax and corporate finance services. Closely comparable regional peer given shared Scottish market focus and similar SME/mid-market client base.
• BDO UK: UK member of the BDO global mid-tier accounting network, providing audit, tax and advisory services. Competes with Martin Aitken & Co for mid-market and SME engagements across Scotland.
• Azets Holdings: UK/Scandinavia-headquartered chartered accountancy and advisory group with strong Scottish presence. Directly comparable to Martin Aitken & Co across accounting, tax, audit, and advisory services to SMEs and mid-market clients.

Broad incumbents

• Crowe UK: UK member of the Crowe Global network, providing audit, tax and advisory services to mid-market clients. A broader incumbent with Scottish reach competing for mid-tier advisory and corporate finance mandates.
• Grant Thornton UK: UK mid-tier accounting and advisory firm with a substantial Scottish office network. A larger, broader incumbent that competes for the same SME and mid-market advisory engagements, especially in audit and corporate finance.
• Mazars UK: UK mid-tier accounting and advisory firm providing audit, tax and consulting services. Competes for the same mid-market and SME advisory, audit and corporate finance engagements across Scotland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Martin Aitken & Co Ltd