Island Makers is a project, an odyssey of the Scottish islands to meet with remarkable makers of beautiful artifacts that reflect the land and sea, the wildlife, the history, the culture of the places in which they live.

Our Scottish coast is richly scattered with archipelagos – from the iconic Shetland, Orkney, and the Hebrides, to many smaller groups, chains and clusters of islands – all with their own distinct character, geology, flora, fauna and human inhabitants.

Often perceived as ‘get-away-from-it-all’ places of splendid isolation, in reality our islands are inhabited by vibrant communities working, caring for and shaping the land upon which they live.

I’m on a mission to meet, to learn about and to share the stories of these communities through the islands’ makers.

Makers (artisans, artists, crafters, smiths) work with their chosen materials (wood, clay, wool, metal, leather, stone, glass) to explore, interpret and reflect their surroundings. 

I want to meet the makers working on our Scottish islands, learn their stories, the what, why and how of their products, and the tradition, culture and environment which informs and inspires their work.

You’ll find blank space here at the moment, but keep an eye out for articles as I journey round the islands in 2021, or better still visit islandmakers.co.uk