about | aitken drum antiques

ABOUT

Robert Aitken grew up in a family who live and breathe antiques, fine arts and ancient antiquity in the far north Highlands of Scotland. It's been a way of life for over half a century with every conceivable item passing hands during that time. The passion for Scottish pieces in particular is still unbound today through Robert.

The business was rooted in Sutherland, and dealt with all manner of items from traditional antiques to jewellery and military & scientific instruments to porcelain and oriental ware. The core business was built around quality pieces with a heritage from the beautiful Highlands of Scotland; such vernacular furniture & silver and unusual items. The wisdoms gained was sought out by many from far afield as expert in Highland fine arts.

 ROBERT
Robert has an eye for spotting rich legacy pieces with a style and flair that excites. With roots in Scottish culture he's all about finding a unique story to tell. He’s attracted to pieces that exude that something special, have a cultural significance or give pure joy to the eye. A creative chap, Robert is also a film-maker and film-educator, having produced several films with screenings across Scotland and International. Robert has also been a Bagpiper to the highest level, with many competitions and compositions under his belt. He ran his own Piping School and has advised on major Military Tattoo's across Europe.

Targe with silver mounts given to
Prince Charles Edward Stuart
by The Duke of Perth about 1740
National Museum of Scotland

AIKEN-DRUM
 Aitken is Robert’s family name, with Aitken also being a sept of the Clan Gordon. Aitken is a post-WWII adaptation of the name Aiken. ‘Aiken Drum’ is an old popular Scottish folk song which has its origins in a Jacobite song about the Battle of Sheriffmuir (1715). It was allegedly sung at the French court during the second Jacobite uprising, when France was an ally of Scotland in a union called the Auld Alliance. Since then 'Aiken Drum’ has become a well know nursery rhyme.  

AITKEN-DRUM ANTIQUES
And so it was in early 2024 that Robert decided to take a fresh approach to antiques. With this in mind, he decided to breathe new life into the antiques world by championing more unique, interesting pieces. But Robert isn’t stopping there. He sees the back-story as equally as important. It's all about unique pieces that have a rich legacy behind them. As Robert says: “Buyers today aren’t looking for something mass produced. Quality workmanship is always sought after, but so is a level of rarity. You want a piece to feel your item special, regardless of cost. That’s a magic combination of looks, materials and originality.”  

For Robert, it’s not about quantity, rather, he's propelled by his love for the preservation of incredibly well crafted pieces and a more discerning approach to what excites him and hopefully you too. It’s a journey through the centuries of enjoyment, appreciation and all the skilled people who have made it all happen.

Robert sees the use of social media as the ultimate tool for success and intends to grow his new venture through Instagram and Facebook with a strategy of posting high quality images and videos of unique antiques.   Aitken Drum Antiques will trade predominantly online but do intend to source acquisitions through the traditional dealing process.  

If you’d like to book an online appointment, please contact Robert at:
robert@aitken.online