About Ramsay Cornish

Ramsay Cornish is an independent auction house located in Edinburgh’s city centre. Our specialist team of valuers offer a personal service, always putting your interests first.

Our service includes a broad and careful marketing strategy ensuring the best exposure for items consigned to sale. Our expertise offers a combined experience of over 100 years in the auction business.

Our friendly saleroom and office staff are here to help.

We are one of the very few auction houses to offer a broad variety of auction type enabling us to deal with all levels of property under one roof. We host a fortnightly Antiques & Interiors auction and bimonthly Specialist auctions. All our auctions benefit from online exposure.

Specialists are always on hand to offer free pre sale valuations either at the saleroom or in your home
Our Valuations Department undertakes formal valuations for Inheritance Tax, Insurance etc.
Our team of Specialists is available throughout Scotland
A friendly, approachable and discreet professional service

Our Team

Martin Cornish

Senior Specialist and Head of Valuations

Martin Cornish brings over thirty years’ experience. He trained for the first fifteen years of his professional life with Lyon and Turnbull of George Street, Edinburgh. A grand lady of Edinburgh auctioneering, Lyon and Turnbull taught him skills which have underpinned his professional life. Integrity, care for the customer and the value of long term professional relationships are key to his working ethic. Martin oversees the Valuations Department with specialist interest in furniture, contemporary design and Oriental works of art.

T: 0131 553 7000
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Alexa Cornish

Junior Specialist Paintings, Prints and Decorative Arts

Alex has grown up in the auction house business soaking up the environment her whole life. Now she has joined us in a formal capacity, Alex deals with various aspects including development of social media and overseeing the saleroom. Her keen interest is photography and she has risen to the challenge as head of photography for both fortnightly and specialist auctions. With an arts background, Alex principally concentrates on our fine art, pictures and prints department.

T: 0131 553 7000
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Richard Edwards

Senior Specialist - Fine and Decorative Arts

Originally from the West coast of Scotland, Richard first qualified as a solicitor before going on to build a career in auctioneering. He joined Sotheby’s New York in 1993 as a specialist in the European Works of Art Dept, before moving to Doyle New York as a General Valuer and Appraiser. Returning to the UK in 2003, he has headed up a provincial auction house in Yorkshire. We are sure you will find Richard highly knowledgeable with a charming and friendly approach.

T: 0131 553 7000
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Dickie Pavey

Senior Specialist - Militaria

From teenage years as a collector of militaria Dickie found himself working with one of Edinburgh’s most flamboyant and knowledgeable antique dealers, specialising in militaria including medals and weapons, stamps, coins and collectables, in the 1980s. Dickie learnt by handling a wide range of antiques and collectables; the best way to learn with an experienced and knowledgeable mentor. With a natural eye, curiosity and eclectic interests, this passionate interest continued as an integral part of his working and personal life.

T: 0131 553 7000
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Alice Stewart

Cataloguer - ceramics and decorative objects

Alice, born and bred in farming Clackmananshire, originally chose a practical art route studying at the Royal Drawing School and went on to study Art History at Exeter. Alice has embraced the auction house world and deals chiefly with ceramics, glass and decorative objects.

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Jack Storey

Junior Specialist - Furniture

Jack joins us from Ireland having completed his MA in Art History at Edinburgh University. With experience from various stints in galleries in Edinburgh and London, this is his first foray into the auction house world which he is embracing with enthusiasm.

Charlie Munro

Specialist - Stamps, coins and banknotes

A well known face in the stamp and coin world, Charlie has had a passion for his subject from boyhood. As a teenager, he worked alongside one of Scotland's biggest stamp and coin dealers. He has gone on to develop his interest professionally and has worked for over twenty years as an auction cataloguer and valuer of stamps, coins and banknotes.