From distillers in Unst to jewellers in Orkney, we have clients across the Scottish islands and beyond. As they start to welcome back visitors for the summer to their shops, restaurants, visitor attractions and tours, we thought we'd do a quick round-up of our clients that have been closed since lockdown but are now reopen for business.
Shetland
The Dowry: Lerwick
Located in the heart of Lerwick, The Dowry is a café and bar serving the best local produce, artisan coffee, beers and spirits. With a new menu launched alongside their reopening post-Covid, it’s the perfect spot to grab something to eat or a few drinks with family and friends.
The Dowry will also be welcoming back live music soon, with Kris Drever – a multiple award-winning Scottish folk singer and songwriter – set to play two shows at the start of July.
Shetland Reel Gin
The Shetland Reel distillery in Unst, the most northerly inhabited island in the UK, reopens on 1 June after being closed to the public since the start of the pandemic. Book a Covid-safe tour of the distillery and get a behind the scenes look at how Shetland Reel Gin is made. While you're there, why not pick up a bottle or two of your favourite tipple at the distillery shop?
Shetland Seabird Tours: Noss
Shetland Seabird Tours are back up and running, offering a unique wildlife experience to the Noss National Nature Reserve and Bressay. One of the tour’s highlights is their Gannet feeding experience, with the cliffs at Noss the home of over 25,000 gannets – and many more seabirds! The company also provides bespoke photography tours with a professional photographer, offering the chance to capture all of the wildlife Shetland has to offer.
The Mousa Boat: Sandwick
Mousa, which means “Mossy Island” in Old Norse, is an RSPB Nature Reserve which offers visitors the chance to see some of Scotland’s rarest plant and wildlife species. With centuries of history to go alongside the wildlife – including an incredible Iron Age broch – the uninhabited island is a must visit for visitors to Shetland.
The Mousa Boat offers a range of trips, including daytime sailing and unique Storm Petrel dusk trips in the summer months.
Mareel: Lerwick
The UK’s most northerly cinema and arts centre opened its doors again last Friday, paving the way for locals and visitors alike to enjoy the latest films in Lerwick. Mareel also boasts a waterfront café, offering the chance to enjoy a coffee whilst watching the local wildlife.
Mackenzies Farm Shop: Cunningsburgh
This popular farm shop, cafe and community hub is now reopen for visitors. Shop for a range of produce, including locally-made jams and chutneys, and a variety of gifts, including Fair Isle knitwear. Complete your visit to Mackenzies Farm Shop with a light lunch or coffee and cake, made using the freshest Shetland ingredients.
Shetland Recreational Trust: Various
Shetland Recreational Trust helps people to stay active and reach new goals by providing opportunities and quality facilities to Shetland’s population. With eight locations throughout Shetland, there’s now a wide variety of leisure facilities open for locals and visitors to enjoy.
Island Vista
Tour operators Island Vista are happy to be welcoming people to Shetland after a very quiet tourism season in 2020. NB has created a new website for this thriving business, which lists all the available tours and itineraries for groups and individuals hoping to visit Shetland.
Orkney
Ola Gorie Jewellery / Kirkness & Gorie / The Longship: Kirkwall
Ola Gorie Jewellery, Kirkness & Gorie – a food and drink emporium, and The Longship – a lifestyle store, are all based in the heart of Kirkwall, opposite the town's famous cathedral. All three are owned by the same family who have had established retail premises on the site for generations. The shops are now reopen for business and are the ideal stop for tourists hoping to pick-up a keepsake or some nice local produce.
Orkney Distilling: Kirkwall
Orkney Distillery, the home of Kirkjuvagr Gin, has reopened its doors for visitors at their HQ in the heart of Kirkwall. Book a tour and see how Kirkjuvagr Gin is distilled.
On top of the distillery tours, Orkney Distilling has also reintroduced Oot the Back – its outdoor bar which launched last summer. The venue offers individually heated booths for parties of up to eight. Oot the Back serves the best of Kirkjuvagr Gin, while also providing tap beer from local brewery – and fellow NB client – Swannay Brewery.
Sheila Fleet: Tankerness/ Kirkwall/ St Andrews/ Glasgow/ Edinburgh
Working from her home in Orkney, Sheila Fleet OBE has grown her jewellery empire over the last 50 years and is one of Scotland’s most recognisable jewellery brands. With stores already established in Edinburgh and Glasgow, Sheila recently travelled south to open her third mainland store in St Andrews. The store contains cosmos-inspired roof lighting and the very best of Sheila Fleet’s collection.
Alison Moore Designs: Dounby
Alison Moore has just opened a new shop in Dounby selling her stylish and contemporary jewellery, as well as a selection of homewares and Alison's underwater photography. The store also doubles as the team's workshop, where you can catch a glimpse of the jewellers at work while you browse the shelves.