It was launched in June 1917 by Catherine Blair, a suffragette and advocate for rural women, to enable women in rural areas of the country to socialise, learn new crafting skills, and make money from items they made rather than rely on their men bringing home a wage.
The National body offers members volunteering opportunities at outreach events such as the Royal Highland Show, the chance to compete in National sporting and crafting competitions, and a range of online Skill Share Sessions and Expert Talks which are available on the YouTube channel ScottishWomen'sInstitutesTV.
The SWI is now a SCIO registered charity which promotes the preservation of Scotland's traditions and rural heritage, particularly in the sphere of household activities such as crafts, cooking and baking.
Each group has its own programme of events, learning opportunities and talks, so no two Institutes are the same and activities are as varied as belly dancing, gin tasting and segway riding.
[3] Catherine Hogg Blair had identified the need for a Scottish example of the emerging Women's Institutes movement and she organised the meeting at Longniddry to avoid a measles outbreak in her own village.