Registers' new Glasgow office given official opening at 400th anniversary

Registers of Scotland's new Glasgow offices were officially opened today as part of a week of celebrations marking the 400th anniversary of the General Register of Sasines, the world's oldest national land register.

Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Jobs & Fair Work, performed the ceremony at the offices at Saint Vincent’s Plaza this morning.

The office has actually been in operation for just over 100 days. The move provides Registers with the latest smart digital facilities, taking the organisation closer to its goal of becoming a digital-first organisation by 2020.

Performing the opening, Mr Brown commented: "It’s fantastic to officially open this new office in the week that RoS celebrates its 400 year anniversary. The fact that this move has been so successful is testament to the many individuals who put in hours of hard work to make it happen.

“RoS has been the guardian of Scotland’s Land Register for four centuries and continues to play a unique role in relation to property transactions in Scotland. The move into this new office is an important part of RoS’s ongoing journey in supporting Scotland’s property market in a modern world, and I’m delighted to be part of that today.”

Keeper of the Registers of Scotland, Sheenagh Adams, responded: “We are delighted to welcome the Cabinet Secretary today in what is a landmark year for RoS, and a jam-packed week celebrating not only our rich history, but also our next steps towards a digital future.

“Our new office environment uses a smart working digital approach designed not only to ensure we can continue to serve our customers, partners and stakeholders as efficiently as possible, but also foster a healthy and balanced working environment for our employees.

“This modern and ambitious project is a fitting way to mark 400 proud years of holding the world’s oldest national land register as we take the next steps in our journey.”

Among other events marking the anniversary, Scotland’s Makar, Jackie Kay, has written a specially commissioned poem to mark the occasion and three previous Keepers of the Registers of Scotland joined the current Keeper, Sheenagh Adams, at a dedication of public artwork in RoS’s Edinburgh headquarters earlier in the week.

Registers has also produced a commemorative booklet in which it has "brought together the stories, people and projects that have characterised Scottish land registration over the last 400 years", covering its history "from the world’s first purpose-built records repository, to how we’re revolutionising land registration in Scotland through our dramatic digital transformation".

Scotland’s Makar, Jackie Kay, has also written a specially commissioned poem to mark the occasion and three previous Keepers of the Registers of Scotland joined the current keeper, Sheenagh Adams, at a dedication of public artwork in RoS’ Edinburgh headquarters earlier in the week.

The new office space in Glasgow has been in operation for just over 100 days and the move was designed to deliver both value for money and real change, taking us a step closer to achieving our goal of being a digital-first organisation by 2020.