Last updated: October 2026

BlackRock’s presence in Scotland is one of the country’s most enduring and strategically significant inward investment stories.

The world’s largest asset manager chose Edinburgh as its first office outside of America nearly three decades ago. This marked a pivotal moment in the firm’s international growth, placing Scotland at the heart of a global financial organisation.

Today, that relationship has evolved into a long term commitment, with around 1,300 people employed in Scotland; it reinforces the nation’s position as an internationally competitive destination for investment, technology and talent.

A long-term vote of confidence in Scotland

The multinational’s longevity in Scotland signals its confidence across the nation’s extensive financial sector, not least its regulatory environment, and capacity to support complex global operations at scale.

That confidence was underlined in 2025 when BlackRock opened its new Edinburgh headquarters on Brandon Street, Canonmills. The move transformed the New Town building into a Grade A office to support growth and modern ways of working. The relocation increased BlackRock’s footprint in the city to around 13,000 sq m, providing space for 1,500 people, and a clear intention to grow long term in Scotland.

The investment illustrates how global firms commit capital when Scotland offers the right combination of talent, place and confidence.

Edinburgh as a global operating base

BlackRock’s operations in Scotland reflect the scale and complexity of the firm’s global business. Edinburgh functions as a microcosm of the organisation, bringing together activity across investment, corporate finance, risk management, technology and operations. This integrated model allows teams in Scotland to contribute directly to core global platforms, helping deliver secure, efficient and resilient services to clients worldwide.

Importantly, Scotland’s role goes beyond support functions, anchoring strategic capabilities within the firm’s international operating model.

Tamzin Jandrell adds: “Our investments here are both long term and multidimensional. They extend beyond having fantastic new premises that we have on Brandon Street.”

She adds that BlackRock is an active investor in the Scottish public and private markets, providing credit, debt and equity capital alongside support for real estate, infrastructure and regional projects within the region. This dual role, as a global operator and active investor, demonstrates BlackRock’s confidence in Scotland’s economy and its future trajectory.

Partnership at the heart of Scotland’s investment proposition

“Scottish Enterprise is a key part of the ecosystem,” explains Tamzin Jandrell. “Our partnership approach with this economic agency helps us with innovation, skills and development. This partnership is a real differentiator for us going forward.”

Collaboration with Scottish Enterprise, alongside engagement with FinTech Scotland and Scottish Financial Enterprise, helps BlackRock connect into a commercial ecosystem and respond to evolving global demands.

Quality of life that helps retain global talent

Quality of life plays an important role in attracting and retaining international talent. Scotland offers a distinctive blend of culture, connectivity and proximity to nature.

Tamzin Jandrell: “What I love about Scotland is being able to live by the sea and near the mountains, especially the Pentland Hills that I hike at weekends. These factors strengthen Scotland’s appeal as a place to build long term careers and leadership teams.”

BlackRock’s investment in Scotland extends beyond economics into community impact. Since 2015, the firm has supported 450 charities and logged 10,000 hours of volunteering, demonstrating a broader commitment to place.

BlackRock’s journey shows how Scotland secures and sustains global investment: by combining talent, partnership and quality of life into a proposition that delivers lasting value for businesses, communities and the wider economy.

Innovation, data and academia as Scottish strengths

“For us, Edinburgh really is a centre of excellence around innovation and collaboration,” says Tamzin Jandrell. “Scotland’s very strong academic background and expanding technology capability are key drivers of our investment here.”

Teams based in Edinburgh contribute to platform development, risk management and operational efficiency, helping reduce risk and deliver scalable, modern solutions globally. Tamzin highlights that Scotland’s data and research capabilities extend well beyond Scotland, and its ability to deploy new approaches at scale.

Talent and skills remain central to BlackRock’s long term commitment to Scotland. Its universities and training institutions support the firm’s continuous growth through graduate programmes, summer internships and partnerships. This includes work with Edinburgh Napier University.

BlackRock is also investing in early career pathways through placements, insight days and the Smart Start apprenticeship programme. This will widen access for people wanting to pursue high value careers in financial services and technology, while strengthening future talent pipelines.