Caledonia has a long history, linked inextricably with that of the Cayzer family and shipping. The company was incorporated in 1928 as the Foreign Railways Investment Trust Ltd, acquired by the Cayzer family in 1951, to hold its diverse interests, and renamed Caledonia Investments Ltd. In 1955, Caledonia acquired the family’s interest in British & Commonwealth Shipping Company Ltd, formed out of the amalgamation of the Clan Line (started by the Cayzer family in the 1880s) and Union-Castle Lines. The company was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1960 and we changed our name to Caledonia Investments plc in 1981.

Caledonia’s modern history started in 1987, when we sold our holding in British & Commonwealth. Since then, Caledonia has been a successful investment holding company, principally taking substantial minority holdings in a range of companies and situations. In early 2003, Caledonia undertook an internal reorganisation that enabled us to become, from 1 April 2003, a UK investment trust company.

The Cayzer family still own a substantial minority of Caledonia and continuity with the past is maintained by the active involvement of members of the fourth and fifth generation of the Cayzer family in the management of the business.