This article examines the discourse of Lord Cockburn (1779–1854), a Whig lawyer and memoirist, and that of the Association founded in 1875 which bears his name (The Cockburn Association). Both Cockburn and the Association present themselves as defenders of Edinburgh’s heritage against the onslaught of a multifaceted and threatening modernity. The analysis is based on Cockburn’s Memorials of His Time (1856) and certain letters, as well as on publications from the Cockburn Association, particularly its magazines from the 1990s and 2000s and three commemorative books published in 1926, 1975, and 2025. While the Association still claims Cockburn as its inspiring figure, it idealizes him and seeks to downplay his elitism, even his class contempt, which are rather typical of the moderately progressive Whiggism of a landowner in the first half of the 19th century. The Association’s discourse defends its record against the modernizing bureaucrats of the post-war era, then against finance, and finally against overtourism at the turn of the century. The Association tends to oppose change but often ends up endorsing the status quo and defending buildings it had fought against decades earlier. The discourse, however, is evolving, becoming more technical, and the Association is opening itself up to international partnerships. The defense of built heritage and green spaces must now be situated within a complex institutional context, where the Association represents both a force of opposition and an institution recognized by the authorities. Ultimately, the Association emphasizes its expertise and political influence, but not its members outside of its governing bodies.