A Crieff kilt shop which counts Hollywood A-lister Ewan McGregor among its customers has relaunched under a new name and owner with a special event.
Scotland Shop on the town’s East High Street held a launch party on Thursday to mark owner Anna White taking over as proprietor of the store which used to trade as House of Tartan.
Anna — who has grown her brand from humble origins in the Borders to Crieff, Edinburgh and New York — said she was delighted with the welcome she’s received from customers in the short time running her store.
And the launch event featured a ribbon cutting, with the honours falling to Highland Gathering chieftain Ron Clark.
Scotland Shop’s official opening
Anna has been in retail for 21 years, and launched her first Scotland Shop in the village of Duns in the Scottish Borders in 2009.
In 2017 Scotland Shop opened in Edinburgh and in 2022 they launched a store in the US, in the hamlet of Latham in upstate NY.
She said: “We are so excited to have our official launch day. We managed to keep the shop open while we renovated, and we have had a party to mark this special occasion.
“It is a destination shop, people visit from across Scotland and from further afar, we have a lot of American customers who book in advance.
“We can take them through all the various tartans, let them know more about its history and significance and really include them in the journey.
“It’s all part of the experience we offer.
“Everything we offer has a story behind it, and we value it and want to share that with everyone.
“And not just that, but a lot of what we sell are given as gifts to mark special events, so it is important we put the care and attention into that.
“Crieff is a real hidden gem, it is such a beautiful village with such a strong community.
“We try and work with as many local manufacturers and crafts people as we can, and a our materials and tartans are woven in Scotland.”
Ewan McGregor connections
Star Wars hero Ewan McGregor and his family are counted among the visitors to the shop, when it was known under previous management as House of Tartan.
The actor posed with staff when Ewan was being kitted out in a kilt a few years ago.
Ewan recently bought a £2 million mansion in the Carse of Gowrie, and has been delighting fans on visits to local restaurants, shops and hotels.
And the Robots star also made an appearance at last month’s Crieff Highland Gathering.
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