Why Edinburgh is right to go in search of modern-day 'enlightened angels'

Edinburgh council is considering setting up a fundraising team to encourage philanthropists to help fund ‘specific’ projects in the city

Scotland is fortunate to have such a beautiful capital as Edinburgh, a contention supported by the vast numbers of tourists who come every year and by aesthetes like cultural critic Jonathan Meades, who once said it was as if the city had been designed by “enlightened angels”.

So an Edinburgh council committee’s idea to set up a fundraising team to support “specific council projects” – potentially offering the chance for people to leave their own, lasting mark on the city – could actually be more appealing than it might initially sound. For example, the statue of Adam Smith outside the City Chambers has a list of the people who paid for it on the back.

The statue of Adam Smith on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, has his name on the front and the names of the people who funded the statue on the back (Picture: Oli Scarff) | AFP via Getty Images

Of course, the council would have to find ways to overcome public suspicions that this is simply a money-making wheeze or that the funds would end up being wasted.

However, with the right projects and good management, it might be a way to encourage more philanthropy and altruism. Despite living in a cynical age, we are sure that Edinburgh still has more than its fair share of “enlightened angels”.