It's getting to that festive time of year where we look to gifting and this year I'm hoping to a curate a set of gift guides featuring some of my own favourite small businesses, to help you shop unique items from small artisan businesses this Christmas.
This first gift guide is called Gifts for the Adventurer, and features some handcrafted pieces that are perfect for the next trip to the mountains.
These gift guides are not sponsored, but just feature fellow small businesses I admire, and it's never been more important to support local.
Gifts for Adventurers
I love a snood when I'm out hiking! Great for keeping the dreaded midgies at bay during the summer, but also for keeping warm when the temperatures start to dip, a snood really is one of those must have versatile items in the Scottish wilds.
These viscose snood cowls by Helen Ruth incorporate Scottish folklore and the landscape, a perfect addition to your hiking wardrobe.
These viscose snood cowls by Helen Ruth incorporate Scottish folklore and the landscape, a perfect addition to your hiking wardrobe.
Jo-Anne makes the most beautiful fleeces under her brand Surf Coo. Inspired by the Highland coo's who are found are her hometown surf spot in the North of Scotland, Surf Coo fleeces are in high demand!
Whether hiking, surfing or wild swimming, a cosy fleece is an integral part of outdoor uniform, and Surf Coo make the most fun combos, and they are all handmade in small batches.
I've had one on my list for such a long time but I've yet to be quick enough. Jo-Anne releases fleece drops regularly, but make sure you are signed up to her mailing list to have the best chance to grab one.
My original product is still one of the best selling, and a handmade chalk bag is a perfect, unique gift for the climber in your life.
Handcrafted in my Aberdeen studio from Scottish waxed cotton, and organic cotton fleece, these are a great alternative to plastic, polyester based chalk bags, and the rugged waxed cotton means it can conquer the hardest climbs.
Retribe are a phenomenal small business in Sheffield, who take discarded tents from festivals and give them a new lease of life as outdoor accessories. So far they've rescued 450+ tents from going to landfill.
These ground mats are perfect if you need a break on a hike, made from tent groundsheets and deadstock fleece, they are also fab for getting changed after a dip in a loch, the soft pile keeping those toes warm!
Mountain Style is a visual chronicle of the garments and styles of British mountaineering throughout the 20th century. When the British expedidation reached the summit of Mount Everest in 1953, it marked a boom in the love of the outdoors. From wools and tweeds, to technical advances in materials in the 60s and 70s, Mountain Style features items held by Mountain Heritage Trust and the Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection, including pieces that actually made it to Everest!
I'm personally incredibly inspired by vintage mountaineering and those natural, heritage fabrics and the book features some incredibly inspiring mountaineers, including the trailblazing Gwen Moffat, who in 1953 became the first female certified British Mountain Guide.
It's a must have for those who love the outdoors, and the gear we take on adventures.
McNair make "the best mountain shirt in the world".
Made in Yorkshire, McNair strive to make performance gear for the outdoors, from natural fibres, creating breathable technical pieces that are made for longevity from merino wool.
The attention to detail is stunning, and each shirt is constructed in Yorkshire. McNair even offer a made to measure service so you can tailor your shirt specifically to you.
This is slow fashion in the outdoors, a world away from the churn of bright nylons and plastic based technical apparel.
This is slow fashion in the outdoors, a world away from the churn of bright nylons and plastic based technical apparel.
A blend of style and function, my chalk buckets make a great gift for the boulderer in your life.
Made right here in my Aberdeen studio, using Scottish waxed cotton, and organic cotton fleece, these feature a velcro close with a secure roll and clip fastening to ensure there are no spillages.
Perfect for the crag or the local bouldering wall.
For the camper in your life, these enamel mugs by Fort William based Discover and Draw are perfect for that post pitch up cuppa. A great little stocking filler for those outdoor lovers, Discover and Draw also has a phenomenal range of outdoor inspired gifts.
No trip to the hills in winter is complete without a hat, and real wool is one of the best fibres you can wear in the cold. Naturally insulating but also breathable, and a much more long lasting product than synthetic yarns.
Using lambswool spun and dyed in Scotland, Flora of Collingwood Norris makes her hats on a hand powered knitting machine in her studio in the Scottish Borders.
Why Shop Small This Christmas? |
Supporting small handmade businesses not only ensures that you are giving a completely one-of-a-kind gift, but it also supports local artisans and local economies. Many small businesses like the ones I've featured here are passionate about sustainability and do their best to use high quality materials, and creating pieces that have less impact on the planet.
If you have your own recommendations for adventure-inspired gifts this Christmas please feel free to share them here.
My next gift guides are to include slow fashion businesses, and small businesses who bring the outdoors into the home, look out for those in the coming weeks!
My next gift guides are to include slow fashion businesses, and small businesses who bring the outdoors into the home, look out for those in the coming weeks!
Laura
Fernweh UK
Comments (0)
Back to Fernweh UK