Island yarn producer sees international sales soar 700% since lockdown

A NEW art studio is to open in the Outer Hebrides after a yarn business won access £20,000 funding to go towards the construction of the workshop.

Meg Rodger, artist and owner of the Birlinn Yarn Company, was signposted to the funding after approaching Business Gateway in 2018 with plans to expand her business by offering a new studio space and wool workshop.

Following one-to-one support on her business plan and providing advice on premises, she was steered to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Grants for Growth Scheme, which unlocked £20,000 of essential funding that enabled her to construct a new studio space.

Based on Berneray, the business started as a passion project in Ms Rodger’s kitchen and sources wool from her Hebriden sheep bred on the family croft as well as other local island wool producers. Sustainably produced, the yarn “gleans its aesthetic qualities from the stunning landscape with soft, muted colours that celebrate the special way of island life”.

The studio, which was originally due to open to the public in July, has now been built and is currently being used as a dedicated creative space with an office and wool store.

During lockdown, Birlinn Yarn experienced a significant 700 per cent increase in international online sales compared to 2019 as her customers “sought a mindful hobby to occupy their time”, and the new studio space has enabled Ms Rodger to work efficiently to meet the demand.

The studio will open to the public in summer 2021, when Ms Rodger plans to employ a member of staff and open the gallery space to other local creative people to showcase their work.

Ms Rodger said: “I’m so grateful for the support of Business Gateway as without the new studio space, I wouldn’t have been able to operate professionally during lockdown.

“It’s made a huge difference, allowing me to process orders effectively and provide an efficient service to my customers, a third of which are in the US.”

Ms Rodger also said: “I strongly feel that in the Hebrides we have something very special to offer the world in terms of unique cultural, craft and art products that have provenance.”