Kiltmaking couple open the doors on new retail and rental store in Forres high street

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

A new kilt hire and sales outlet has opened on Forres High Street.

Sam and Louisa Carter have taken on the former Ladbrokes office and refurbished it into a pleasant and welcoming retail outlet.

MacKenzie of Forres will stock a range of tartans, and there are currently 14 to choose from. They also have jackets such as Prince Charlie’s, Argyles, Tweed Crail, as well as shoes, jumpers, and accessories.

Sam said: “We’ll be offering bespoke kilts, trousers, trews, and jackets. And we’ve paired up with Margaret Morrison from Perth, one of the big sporran makers in Scotland.”

They both spent time studying kiltmaking at the Keith Kilt and Textile Centre: “When we started working with kilts, we wanted to understand what’s in that eight metres of fabric? How does it become a kilt?” said Sam.

Opportunity

It was while living in Elgin they saw an opportunity to offer the service in Forres: “There’s a few shops in Inverness, and then you’ve got McCall’s and Chuck McCall’s in Elgin and nothing really in between. So Forres seemed like a good spot.

“At the same time, the flats above came up for sale, so we’ve moved in right above the shop.”

They chose the name MacKenzie for its links to Forres.

“The pipe band wears the Mackenzie tartan. There’s a Mackenzie room in the Tolbooth. It pops up everywhere.”

As well as bespoke kilts, they can also design sporrans to order.

Louisa said: “You can choose your cantle, fur and everything else. And again, we have a small selection of off-the-shelf, ready-to-go sporrans as well.”

And she emphasised that kilts don’t have to be linked to a clan name: “You don’t have to have your family name. There’s lots of generic kilts, such as the Isle of Skye, the Spirit of Scotland, for example.”

MacKenzie of Forres is open now at 82 High Street (next to the Tolbooth) from Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm.