Robert Kilgour
Profile Verified by The Marque
Last Updated: 22 Sep 2026
Founder & Director
London, GB
Profile Verified by The Marque
Last Updated: 22 Sep 2026
THE MARQUE
In Their Own Right
Biography
Robert Kilgour is an entrepreneur, investor, property developer and Founder & CEO of Dow Investments Plc. Born in Edinburgh and raised in Fife, he divides his time between London and Scotland. Robert's first venture after university was the purchase and renovation of an Edinburgh hotel, increasing its turnover by 400% before selling. In 1989, he founded Four Seasons Health Care, which grew to become the UK's 5th largest care home operator. He left in 2000 after orchestrating a £127mn public/private takeover of Crestacare Plc, a deal with an enterprise value of £127mn involving Alchemy Partners. He made his final exit in 2004. Robert’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to co-found CamVista, a webcam business that earned him a place as a finalist in the EY Scottish Entrepreneur of the Year Competition. In 2004, he co-founded NW Security Group Ltd and established Renaissance Care (Scotland) Ltd. Robert has been involved in $37mn worth of property deals in New York, and £13mn in London, as well as care home consultancy services in Australia. In the 1990s he opened an office in Siberia which arranged sporting and business exchanges between Russia and Scotland. He is an NED of Morphose Ltd and Storii Global Inc as well as an Advisory Council Member of Jobs Foundation and Taxpayers Alliance, and an Advisory Board Director of E2E Enterprise Ltd. Robert's other business interests include founding the Scottish think-tank ‘Think Scotland’, and ‘SBUK’ to campaign against Scottish independence. He co-founded Local Recovery and The Museum of Prime Minister. His philanthropic efforts include chairing the Fife Macmillan Appeal, raising £1.75mn for hospice care. He has also personally funded Macmillan Cancer Information & Support Centres in London and Edinburgh. He became the first Macmillan Cancer Support Ambassador in 2018. In 2023, Stirling University awarded Robert an honorary doctorate for his contributions to entrepreneurship and philanthropy.
The Record
Background
-
1990 — Present
Founder & CEO
Dow Investments Plc
An general investment company established in 1990.
-
2004 — Present
Founder & Executive Chairman
Renaissance Care Group
Renaissance Care is a care home operator with 18 care homes in Scotland, employing approximately 1,400 staff.
-
2004 — Present
Co-Founder & Non-Executive Director
NW Security Group Ltd
A leading provider of high-performance video and security systems.
-
2017 — Present
Founder & Director
My Care Staff Ltd
A website that will put carers and nurses looking for work directly in touch with care homes and hospitals looking for staff, thus cutting out the agencies to the financial benefit of both parties involved.
-
1987 — 2000
Founder & Managing Director, latterly joint Chief Executive/Group Commercial Director
Four Seasons Health Care
Robert Kilgour founded FSHC with one care home in Fife and developed it into the UK's fifth biggest care home operator.
-
2007 — 2019
Founder Shareholder & Non-Executive Chairman
Kingdom FM
Robert was a founder-shareholder, and eventually Chairman, of Kingdom FM, Fife's local radio franchisee employing 13 staff. In 2019 he engineered the sale of the radio station to publisher DC Thomson.
-
1999 — 2002
Co-Founder & Chairman/CEO/Deputy Chairman
CamVista Ltd
CamVista is a leading webcam portal website which was sold to a large security company.
In The News
Newsfeed
-
15 April 2025 · Forces News
Lib Dem leader wants Scotland to do more to help Ukraine with its war effort
Read more -
9 December 2024 · Laing Buisson News
People not politics
Read more -
9 November 2024 · The Telegraph
Care home tycoon, Robert Kilgour, threatens legal action over Reeves’s ‘devastating’ tax raid
Read more -
5 June 2024 · Scottish Financial News
Scottish care home group plans to double turnover to £100m by 2029
Read more -
3 May 2024 · The Times
Civil servants win right to knock off early on Fridays
Read more -
20 March 2024
Care boss accuses local authorities of ‘blatant hypocrisy’ on fee levels
Read more -
31 January 2024
EXCLUSIVE: Care leader calls for Sturgeon to ‘tell the truth’ on Covid testing
Read more -
5 September 2023
Robert Kilgour launches UK wide social care pressure group
Read more -
29 August 2023
Families demand apology for pandemic visiting ban
Read more -
29 June 2023
Care homes entrepreneur and charity founder honoured by University of Stirling
Read more -
26 February 2023 · The Sunday Times
Scottish independence ‘would cost 250,000 jobs’
Read more -
13 January 2023 · The Times
Take it from Harry: a spare referendum plan will only hurt
Read more -
13 December 2022 · Edinburgh Evening News
Private operator offers to take over empty care home if council doesn't want to
Read more -
28 November 2022 · The Scotsman
Business group considers legal bid over Scottish Government independence spending
Read more -
31 October 2022
Care home group implements key energy efficiency measures to combat soaring energy prices
Read more -
20 July 2022
Aberdeen care home provider strengthens team to support business growth
Read more -
28 June 2022 · The Times
New independence bid is not dead; it’s just having a rest
Read more -
16 June 2022
Business chiefs planning legal action against SNP Government if they pursue 'wildcat' referendum
Read more -
30 May 2022 · The Scotsman
Scottish care home entrepreneur Robert Kilgour secures £30m acquisition pot
Read more -
25 April 2022 · The Times
Nationalist politics ‘blocking cross-UK community help’
Read more -
3 January 2022 · The Times
Care home boss pleads for Sturgeon to cut self-isolation time
Read more -
3 October 2021
Care home staffing crisis as 17,000 needed after workers leave for better wages
Read more -
10 September 2021
Covid in Scotland: Care home cases triple after some staff shun vaccination
Read more -
17 July 2021 · The Times
Care homes deserve an independent Scottish inquiry
Read more -
12 July 2021 · The Times
Government needs more joined up thinking on social care
Read more
Formative Years
Education
-
University of Stirling
Economics & History
1975 — 1978
-
Loretto School
1970 — 1975
Areas Of Focus