Purchase of Own Securities

Scottish American Investment Co PLC
18 May 2001


The Scottish American Investment Company plc (the 'Company')

Repurchase of ordinary shares for cancellation

The Scottish American Investment Company plc announces that on 17 May, 2001 it
purchased for cancellation 100,000 ordinary shares in the market at a price of
233p per ordinary share. There remain 155,040,943 ordinary shares in issue.

END