Under The Tartan Sky

A discussion with Dr. Mel Tonkin, director of the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Saving Red Squirrels Project about efforts to control the invasive grey squirrel and protect the native red squirrel population in Scotland.

Once covering more than 15,000 square kilometers, today less than 1 percent of the once great Caledonian Forest remains. Trees for Life are working to restore these woodlands through tree planting, land management, reintroduction of critical species and more.

Take a virtual road trip around Scotland’s newest tourist route, the Kintyre 66 to see and hear about the many sights , attractions and experiences await the visitor to Scotland’s Kintyre peninsula.

An interview with Brian Binnie, born in the USA and raised in Scotland who piloted Spaceship One to 70 miles above the Earth in 2004 and captured the $10-million Ansari X Prize and ushered in commercial space flight.

Glasgow artisan Alicia MacInness discusses her work in fused glass to create jewellery and other art pieces often inspired by tartan.

We’re all familiar with the saying, when life gives you lemons – make lemonade. In 2020, the Corona virus gave the travel and hospitality industry worldwide, including in Scotland, a veritable orchard of lemon trees. With domestic and international travel shut down almost overnight, those in the travel business faced a very uncertain future.

Tourism is big business in Scotland. According to Insider.co.uk, An estimated 14 million people visit the country annually and spending by tourists accounts for 5% of the national GDP and the industry accounts for more than 7% of employment in Scotland. Not surprisingly tourism and hospitality took a huge downturn when the Corona virus decided to visit – and stay, putting Scotland in a year long lockdown.

Like so many other small entrepreneurial businesses, Away from the Ordinary found itself in a fight for survival, needing to find a way to stay in business and weather the storm. That would be no easy task because, as it’s name implies, Away from the Ordinary, is not your ordinary travel agency. Fully 70 percent of its business comes from clients in the USA and the experiences offered cover the gamut of all that is Scotland; from private after hours tours and over night stays in a castle, to hiking, biking, canoeing or horseback riding across the stunning Scottish landscape, from bespoke whisky tastings and private distillery tours, to ancestral and historical site visits, to a round of golf or dining at Michelin starred restaurants - It’s luxury travel with a very personal touch.

Away from the Ordinary’s bespoke travel offerings cover all the experiences you could hope for in Scotland, from hiking through the stunning scenery, to historical site visits, varied whisky experiences, golf (of course), after hours tours and overnight stays in castles, and fine dining on Scotland’s amazing larder. (All photos courtesy Away from the Ordinary). Click on any image to enlarge.

Raised in Western Scotland, Founder Aeneas O’Hara is more tailor than travel agent – measuring, cutting, stitching, and fitting a travel experience as unique to you as a custom tailored suit of the finest Scottish Harris Tweed. O’Hara enjoyed a successful career in Financial Technology and while traveling the world, the beauty and magic of Scotland never left him. He returned to found Away from the Ordinary with his wife, to sustainably share the wonder and majesty of Scotland with travelers from all around the world. With Scotland in lockdown however, it was time for a new business model.

Along with Michael McCuish as Director of PR and Partnerships, North America, O’Hara settled on technology of the times (ZOOM, etc) and another iconic Scottish product, whisky, to guide Away from the Ordinary through the travel shutdown. The pair launched what has since become an award-winning online whisky tasting series, keeping the business healthy through these online cultural exchanges rather than in person travel experiences.

Away from the Ordinary founder, Aeneas O’ Hara (left) and (right) Michael McCuish, Director of PR and Partnerships, North America.

One year on, the company is about to launch bespoke gin tastings to its online offerings while, (as Covid is gradually being curbed globally with vaccine rollouts and continued social safeguards), being cautiously optimistic they will soon be back in the bespoke travel business. Once the world returns to “normal” the newly developed online offerings are expected to remain as a part of the company’s personalized offerings.

Online whisky and now gin tastings will remain part of the bespoke experience offerings from Away from the Ordinary even when international travel returns.

04:59 - 2020 Was shaping up as the best year yet for Away from the Ordinary

06:30 - Initially the travel halt was expected to be temporary

08:10 - The pivot to online whisky tastings did not happen immediately upon lockdown

11:30 - Why was whisky the chosen tool for your online program?

17:45 - Did you foresee the lockdown lasting a year or more?

19:00 - How do you capture the magic of travel in an online experience?

21:45 - How does your online whisky tasting work?

27:15 - Does this temporary focus on whisky risk alienating some clients (non whisky drinkers)?

35:20 - What is your “Watch with whisky” program all about?

41:50 - How have your various partners in the bespoke travel program faired so far?

44:05 - Will the online whisky and gin tastings remain part of your programming once travel resumes?

46:45 - Why should Scotland be on someone’s travel bucket list?

•Away from the Ordinary (website)

•Away from the Ordinary on Instagram

•Away from the Ordinary on Facebook

• Away from the Ordinary on Twitter 

Award winning Scottish travel blogger Kathi Kamleitner discusses moving to Scotland, beginning her career as a blogger and niche destination travel consultant to her latest venture, a travel podcast.

The Eriskay Pony is as old as Scotland itself but today is critically endangered numbering between a few hundred and a few dozen. Once found throughout Scotland’s Outer Hebrides islands it is today limited largely to the Isles of Eriskay and Uist where efforts are underway to preserve the breed.

There can be no denying the Scots diaspora worldwide. There are millions of us spread around the globe. Elements of Scottish culture can be found across the Americas to be sure, but also in far flung destinations like the Carribean, in New Zealand, India, Singapore, Japan and elsewhere. Scots truly are all about family and community. You need only know the history of the Scottish clan society to find the truth in that statement. Even today, with clan society long disappeared, the first question typically asked of anyone who proclaims themselves to be Scottish or of Scots ancestry is - “What’s your clan?”

A map of Scottish clans. Clan society was based around a kinship of Scottish people, whether connected by blood lines or by a common allegiance to a particular leader of clan chief. The Jacobite uprising of 1745 is often viewed as the beginning of the end of the clan system. Common today, the idea of clans with their specific identifying tartans is largely a 19th century creation thanks to the romanticism of Sir Walter Scott and others.

Ainsley Hamill and Anna MacDonald are singers, songwriters, musicians and step dancers who found themselves living in London, “exiled” as it were, and missing that connection to home, that sense of belonging, so they decided to create their own community away from home for “exiled” Scots like themselves by sharing their talents and doing what Scots the world over have done for generations – sharing Scottish culture with anyone interested. The two co-founded the Association of Exiled Scots to teach music, language and culture through their Culture and Music School, while also showcasing themselves and other Scottish talent through live event bookings and corporate gigs.

Ainsley Hamill and Anna MacDonald, aka The Association of Exiled Scots.

In 2020, like so many others, they were forced by the pandemic to revamp their business plan and rely more and more on an online presence, a move that fortuitously opened the door to a line of bespoke association apparel featuring Scotland’s national icon, the unicorn.

The TAoES wee beauty beanie

The TAoES Pure Dead Classic Tee

Moving into 2021, classes (Step dancing, Gaelic songs, etc.) once offered in person remain available only online pending the easing of UK lockdown restrictions. Both Anna and Ainsley are anxious to return to their first love, live performance. However, they now expect they will continue their online outreach, especially to Scot diaspora from around the world as technologies like Zoom have shown us all how we can safely gather and share the benefits of a shared community even if separated by only a few city blocks or thousands of miles.

• 05:15 Ainsley tells how she and Anna first met in London

• 09:15 Why the term “exiled” Scots?

• 12:00 TAoES is a community but not a membership driven association.

• 17:20 How the pandemic interrupted and changed TAoES class offerings in music and dance.

• 25:45 Anna & Ainsley discuss their interest in Gaelic language and song.

• 32:10 How the pandemic forced TAoES to adjust their goals and operations.

• 34:50 Will TAoES continue online offerings once pandemic restrictions on travel and meeting are lifted?

• 38:00 Who exactly does TAoES see as their clients?

• 39:00 What is it about Scottish culture that makes it so appealing to people worldwide?

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

• TAoES Website

There’s no question that there is more to tartan than meets the eye. For the well dressed Scottish lad or lassie a simple ready made gentlman’s tie or scarf just isnae enough. There are trousers and trews, skirts and shoes, dresses and kilts, caps and cummerbunds, jackets and waistcoats, and all in a variety of tartans from which to choose…

A tailor made tartan outfit is as timeless a classic as Bonnie Prince Charlie and when it comes to made in Scotland tailored tartan clothing, one of the names to know is Scotland Shop. Headquartered in the Scottish borders town of Duns, Scotland Shop is best known for its tailored clothing, and while offering a choice of over 500 tartans, they also deal in tweeds, cashmere’s and more. Besides clothing you can also buy your own fabric for sewing, crafting or upholstery, you can order rugs and throws, curtains and blinds, gifts for him and her, as well as the kids, interior and table decorations and more. In short, they strive to offer your tartan in your style.

In addition to tartan fashion for men and women, ScotlandShop has over 500 tartan fabrics to select from for your own sewing, crafting, or upholstery as well as gifts and interior accessories and decoration.

Anna White is the founder of Scotland Shop – one of three daughters, she grew up on a farm in the Scottish Borders. Initially she was offering Scottish crafts, gifts, food and textiles from the region. It only took a couple of years for White to shift the business to textiles exclusively and to move into what remains the company’s borders headquarters, a renovated granary in the town of Duns. Today the company has a second location just off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, has experimented with a pop up shop in New York City during Tartan Week, operates multiple international websites, and can (in non pandemic years) be found exhibiting at a variety of Highlands Games and Scottish festivals. Next year, 2022, will mark the company’s 20th anniversary – and White has accomplished all of this while raising a family and, true to her original mission, promoting products of what is arguably one of Scotland’s lesser appreciated regions – the Borders.

Anna White is founder and owner of ScotlandShop

• 04:15 White on the beauty of the Scottish Borders

• 06:20 Growing up on the family farm prepared White for running her own business

• 09:20 Were there challenges in forming your own business as a woman almost 20 years ago?

• 14:10 What prompted the change from the original gifts, craft, food, and textiles focus to exclusively textiles?

• 16:35 White on creating international websites early in the business

• 19:50 Why focus on tailored made-to-order fashion?

• 22:15 What role has the US market played in your success?

• 28:45 How has the pandemic forced changes in your business?

• 35:45 500 Tartans! Is that sometimes overwhelming for customers?

• 43:00 Is international competition, knockoff products becoming an industry issue?

• 45:00 White on why Scottish textiles are so respected around the world

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

•SCOTLANDSHOP (website)

•500 Tartan Fashion Ideas (pinterest site)

•The Birth of Tartan (Scottish Tartans Authority)