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Happy 3rd Birthday Edinburgh Shop
Where have the last 3 years gone? What I love about running a business is that every day is different and there are always new challenges. Our Edinburgh shop has definitely been one of our greatest challenges and just when we thought we were getting it right Covid struck. But on we go, this week I was having a lazy day off on Saturday, picking raspberries in the sunshine, when Lorraine called to say water was pouring through the roof in the stairwell down to the shop storeroom. All sorted now but as I said, never a dull moment!
We opened our Edinburgh shop with the goal of becoming Edinburgh's finest tartan shop. 3 years on this is still our goal and we maintain our desire to remain true to the quality of our beautiful fabrics woven here in Scotland and the products we create with them. We also wanted to make this our flagship store and the template to roll out across the world. That part of the dream has slowed with recent world events but in no way disappeared, and one day there will be a New York variation on the Edinburgh tartan throne that takes centre stage in a shop somewhere in the US of A!
You can read our blogs on why we chose Queensferry Street and the euphoria of the launch with our superstar Doddie Weir. Things have moved on, Doddie celebrated his 50th birthday earlier in the summer and continues to defy MND with his positive outlook and his tartan will always be a favourite feature in store. We were open 7 days a week from that first day, except for Christmas and New Year's Day, so closing due to lockdown left us lost and broken hearted. Edinburgh still feels quiet and subdued but building has resumed at the new Johnnie Walker Whisky Centre on the corner of Princes Street, fabulous hotels like the Waldorf Astoria and The Bonham have re-opened their doors and visitors are returning to the Capital. We have become masters of tartan face mask manufacturing and your orders have kept our seamstress, Claire, in a full time job as well as allowing us to raise thousands of pounds for the NHS.
Highlights of our first 3 years include visits from some famous faces, runway fashion designer Justin O'Shea, Joanna Lumley from Ab Fab and Lulu to name but a few. One of the best features of our Edinburgh store is the enormous window space perfect for creative merchandising. Shop windows have included everything from live mannequins, handmade paper daffodils in spring, giant pin cushions and tape measures, to Monja's full size Rabbie Burns and the current Greyfriars Bobby and Scott Monument. We do love to showcase the skills of our people and everyone contributes to a new window brainstorm! The product range continues to celebrate our many Scottish clans and hundreds of tartans, overwhelming new start staff before they discover the logic behind the patterns and a passion to learn more every day. There is definitely an infinite opportunity for learning at ScotlandShop and that is part of our culture, we don't proclaim to be experts, we love sharing stories and discussing whether the Campbell's really did take out the MacGregor's, and most of all hearing our customers tell us about their ancestors and how they ended up where they are in the world or the journey they are on to find them.
Tape measures and swatch books at the ready, we pride ourselves on being able to create pretty much any garment you have been dreaming of. Covid has made us creative in how we deliver this to you with virtual appointments via video call now our favourite way of chatting to you all, showing you swatches and helping you take measurements. We have also been interviewing lots of interesting folks from around the world with stories of heritage and history to tell and sharing this via our blog and YouTube channel, with a few Presidents thrown in there, not Donald, but far better with Gus Noble from Chicago Scots, Lorraine Bell from New York and Alan McHale from Florida and lots more to come. Monja and I have become video stars with our Wednesday night "On the Sofa" sessions chatting about all things tartan, clans and how we make our products. Join us if you can or send us your requests for content as we do love a new topic to explore. So while 2020 has been a bit of a challenge and Corona coaster ride we have an amazing team and are closer than ever as we come up with more and more ideas to share our love of Scotland and explore our heritage, and we thank you for inspiring us.
The business as a whole will be 18 years old in October, so perhaps we will have to eat even more tartan cake then? Meantime come and say hello to Monja and Lorraine in the shop if you can, we really appreciate the support of our loyal customers, both local and visiting. And if you can't, book yourself a virtual appointment and chat to us online, no obligation to buy, just share your stories and let them talk you through the range. You are always welcome to join the tartan clan!
