Our Story

Made Scotland was created by Alexandra Borthwick as a one-stop store showcasing quality, well-designed brands from across Scotland.

If you've ever searched for Scottish gifts online only to find cheap, tacky imports or if you've felt you should be buying more sustainably-produced gifts but don't have time to get out and find independent brands, your in the right place.

Made Scotland was inspired by my years of living away, when I struggled to find interesting, Scottish-made things to give to friends and family. Endless trawling online would turn up the usual mass-produced tartan fare, but I was after something more original. Something that had a story, that was produced with sustainability in mind, that was made with purpose.

It was only on moving back to Scotland in 2017 that I found a thriving scene of makers, producing high quality things, from unique homeware to high-end knitwear, from artisanal food produce to beautiful art.

But this stuff still wasn’t easy to come by. Most were chance discoveries, spotted at a remote Highland store, a country fair, a city market. Or clever gifts, a tip from someone in-the-know, an unusual find in the house of a friend.

Why wasn’t there a website where you could find beautiful things, all made in Scotland, learn about the makers and also get great tips on places to go and things to see? No idea, but you know what they say. If you want a job done right, do it yourself.

And I did. The website combines three of my favourite things: exploring Scotland, finding beautiful, unique things and talking to people about their story. As a writer who’d worked in women’s magazines for years, it was a natural fit. So Made Scotland was born, bringing you hard-to-find treasures, inspiring makers and a good dose of escapism.