Welcome to the Lothian Philatelic Group (LPG) website. Both the former Edinburgh and Scottish Philatelic societies are now incorporated within the Lothian Philatelic Group which started in January 2022. The Lothian Stamp Group LSG also merged with LPG in January 2025.
The Group’s objectives are to encourage and promote all aspects of philately in the Lothians and surrounding area. Our members have varied philatelic interests including stamp design and production, cancellations, stamp collecting, postal history, stamp watermarks and security markings.
This site provides an introduction to the group, our activities and contact information.
History
The Scottish Philatelic Society originally began as the ‘Briefmarken-Sammler-Verein zu Edinburgh und Leith’ on 4th November 1893 in Hannah’s Restaurant, York Place with Herr August Schnepel as President, The founding members were a group of convivial German collectors based in Edinburgh and the minutes were initially recorded in German. It changed its name several times eventually becoming the Scottish. The Edinburgh Philatelic Society was formed in 1927 by a small group of stamp collectors in Oddfellows Hall, in Forest Road, Edinburgh, and celebrated its 95th anniversary in 2022 as part of LPG. The Lothian Stamp Group started out in 1997 as the Edinburgh Stamp Group with informal Friday morning meetings.
Meetings / Membership
LPG meet at St Marks Church (west end Edinburgh) on alternate Tuesday evenings from autumn to spring. – To join LPG please request a ‘membership application form’ from the Secretary. Their is a small subscription (renewable yearly)
Contact Secretary: Steve Cowles janmcowles@gmail.com
LSG also meet at St Marks and run ‘daytime’ meetings the last Friday morning of each month 10am. [exceptions: July – 3rd Friday and none in Aug or Dec.] Attendees need not be LPG subscribers. A small fee is paid at each meeting attended. – To Join LSG come along to one of the Friday meetings.
Contact Secretary: Stephen Weir stephen.weir7@btinternet.com
See the Meetings page for dates and times of both LPG and LSG meetings
Exchange Packets
LPG Members have the option participate in ‘Exchange Packets’. The society has a packet secretary to help members buy and sell stamps using these packets. See the Packets page for further information.
LPG Logo
The logo is a combination of the ‘Brunswick Star’ logo previously used by the Edinburgh Society and the Saltire shield previously used by the Scottish society. The Brunswick star was an experimental cancellation used in Edinburgh from 1863 to 1871. The name refers to a decoration from the Hanoverian Order of Brunswick, but no-one knows who gave it this name, or when. The number 131 in this logo is the Post Office number issued to Edinburgh in 1844.
Lothian Philatelic Group (LPG) 