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

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.

Other Forres business news

Forres bucks trend as six new shops open in town centre over six months

Despite grim forecasts and news of business hardships, Forres town centre is bucking the trend with the...

‘Eat Out’ deals continue into September as owners bounce back with their own offers

September eating out offers If you know of any more, let us know by email, or by...

Cafe customers are paying it forward by buying coffee and cake for strangers

A high street cafe is 'banking' the kindness of local folk who want to pay the cost...

Oh Fudge! Coronavirus restrictions make re-opening of sweet shop ‘unviable’

The Kilted Fudge shop at the east end of the high street won't re-open owners have stated,...

Shopping locally is ‘absolutely essential’ for recovery of economy says Moray’s MSP

Richard Lochhead MSP met with local businesses in Forres recently to discuss the challenges of coronavirus and...

Gemma fulfills her dream to open a high street nail bar despite lockdown setback

A young woman who fulfilled her dream of having her own nail bar has finally re-opened on...

Business owners are painting the town red… and green, and cream, and black!

Forres business owners have only just come out of lockdown, and they haven't wasted any time in...

Forres publican says vigilance is needed to protect health and jobs as well as business

A Forres publican has joined the call from licensed trade chiefs for bar owners and their visitors...

The full list of all 21 eateries in the Forres area offering 50% off during August

More the 20 establishments in the Forres area are offering up to 50% off sit-in meals for...

Shopkeepers put their hearts into ‘love local’ campaign as Scotland joins in

Forres shopkeepers are supporting the #ForresLovesLocal campaign to encourage people to start shopping on their doorstep. Nearly...

Share this

Leave a comment