"AMAZON of the isles" ISLE20.COM has provided a lifeline to island businesses during the pandemic, and this one-stop-shop makes Christmas shopping easy for those looking to support rural economies.
Among those offering a taste of the isles are JP Orkney, whose award-winning Fatty Cutties are biscuits made to a Westray recipe of four, sugar, currants and butter and cooked on a griddle. A clutch of five-star reviews suggest one order is often not enough.
Fatty Cutties, JP Orkney, £2.75
For those with an even sweeter tooth, The Tartan Tablet Company on Arran offers a gift box with two bags of tablet and a card featuring scenes from the island and a customised message for the lucky recipient.
Tablet gift box and card, The Tartan Tablet Company on Arran Ltd, £13.50
From the small isle of Kerrera, the aptly named Rowan Glen makes small-batch herbal teas with organic and wild produce. Her soothing Cocorose loose leaf tea is made from coco shell, rose bud, wild kelp, nettle and vanilla.
Cocorose loose leaf Sea Tea, £6.50
Skye-based Apothecary’s Garden makes similarly good use of the surroundings, with seasonal botanicals grown or foraged on the east coast of Skye used to make shampoo and soaps, including a cranberry and fig bar that would make an ideal stocking filler.
Cranberry and fig soap, Apothecary’s Garden, £4.50
Another producer of gorgeous scents is Lismore Luminations, a family business selling luxury hand-poured candles, wax melts, diffusers and hand wash. Rock salt and driftwood is a “floral marine scent where refreshing notes of seaweed meet woody driftwood”.
Rock salt and driftwood soy candle, Lismore Luminations, £9.99
The sea also provides plenty of inspiration to island artists, including Colonsay-based Rosalind Jewell, whose stunning Atlantic Sunset is available as an original work in acrylic on board, or as a print or greetings card; and David Allaway of Iona, whose painting Dive Into The Green is for sale alongside other artworks and gorgeous photo prints under the brand of Iona Images.
Atlantic sunset painting, Rosalind Jewell, £175 (prints from £45)
‘Dive into the green’, framed original painting, IonaImages, £85
The offerings of Lewis-based Islewear include stud earrings inspired by shells, and a seaweed leaf pendant is among Marion Miller Jewellery’s creations. “Long anchor” scarves from Barra-based Herring Girl Knitwear (main image) are available in a choice of “seas of green” or “oceans of blue”.
Mara stud earring with freshwater pearl, Islewear, £55
Sterling silver seaweed leaf pendant, Marion Miller Jewellery, £89
Isle20.com has plenty to offer animal lovers, such as the Eriskay Pony Calendar 2022 featuring lovely photos of these animals in their native Outer Hebrides along with information in both Gaelic and English about the breed, the history and the island. Every purchase supports the work of Comann Each nan Eilean, the original Eriskay Pony Society, which will next year celebrate 50 years of conservation work.
Eriskay Pony Calendar 2022, Comann Each nan Eilean, £14.99
Our maker of the month, Lynn Kitching of Drift Designs Mull, also takes inspiration from the wildlife around her, making exquisite pieces of jewellery such as these sterling silver flying eagle earrings (£39) and other designs featuring otters, hares and starfish.
Oystercatcher linocut, Zoe Moffat – Small Isles Artist, £3.50
Crochet rainbow hat with detachable bobble, Willow Cottage Crafts, £35
Hebridean sheepskin rug, Coll Hebridean Wool, £70
A handprinted linocut print of a charming oystercatcher by Small Isles artist Zoe Moffatt, a fabulous rainbow hat from Willow Cottage Crafts and a luxurious sheepskin rug from Coll Hebridean Wool complete our Christmas gift picks.
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