Candle firm completes full-circle deal

A Highland home fragrance business has marked a milestone anniversary by acquiring the company that first inspired its founder’s entrepreneurial journey.

The Isle of Skye Candle Company has bought the Isle of Skye Soap Company as it celebrates 20 years in business, bringing together two of the island’s best-known consumer brands in what founder James Robertson describes as a full-circle moment.

James first conceived the idea for a candle business while working for the soap company as an 18-year-old. 

At the time, the business sourced its candles from England, prompting him to ask whether Scottish-made alternatives would be considered. 

Armed with a book on candle making, a boiler and wax, he began experimenting in a converted bothy on his uncle’s croft near Portree.

That modest start has grown into one of Scotland’s leading home fragrance brands. 

Today, Isle of Skye Candle Company employs more than 100 people, producing handmade candles and reed diffusers sold through its website and stores in Skye, Glasgow, Edinburgh, St Andrews and Inverness, as well as through stockists and export markets.

The business is now led by James and his brother Raghnall, who helped transform the venture from a small family operation into a nationally recognised brand.

James said: “I remember asking why they were buying candles from England. 

“I said if I could make Scottish candles using the same scents, would they buy them?

“There was no YouTube then, so I bought a book about making candles, a boiler and some wax, and started from a converted bothy on my uncle’s croft just outside Portree. 

“It was a steep learning curve and I made plenty of mistakes, but it felt worth persevering with. I’m glad I did!”

Raghnall added: “We were far from polished entrepreneurs. 

“The first few years we had no idea what we were doing. 

“It was basically glorified research and development.

“We started selling to the soap company, which we remain incredibly grateful for, then to a few more local businesses and then at craft fairs in Glasgow.

“It did not make much money back then, but we were learning a lot and beginning to understand what people wanted. 

“When a shop on Byres Road in Glasgow’s West End stocked us, it felt like a big moment. 

“We had a mainland stockist and it started to feel like a real business.”

The acquisition follows the retirement of Isle of Skye Soap Company founder Fiona Meiklejohn. 

Both businesses will continue to operate as separate brands, with no job losses, while the new owners focus on growing the soap company’s distribution and building on its loyal customer base.

James added: “None of this would have happened without Fiona. 

“She gave me my first job on Skye and it was while working for her that I had the idea for the business in the first place.

“We would never have gone head-to-head with them, but with Fiona retiring it felt like the perfect opportunity to expand.

“It is surreal, but we are incredibly proud to have the chance to build on what she has achieved.

“In the next 12 months, we will be focused on expanding distribution, and we are excited by the opportunities available.”

Fiona added: “I am delighted that James and Raghnall are the ones to be taking over the soap company. 

“I’m looking forward to enjoying my retirement and spending more time with my family, and I know the business is in good hands.”

The deal is the latest chapter in the candle company’s expansion.

In 2022, it acquired the former Aros Centre in Portree, transforming the site into its visitor centre, complete with a flagship shop, production facilities, restaurant, cinema, theatre and wellness studio.

Raghnall added: “It was a massive stretch for us but buying it has taken the business to another level. 

“This latest acquisition is another significant step.

“We have had no grand plan, but it felt like too good an opportunity, and too exciting for us, not to do.

“We want to create good jobs on the island beyond the traditional hospitality and public sector route, including workshop managers, graphic designers, marketing people, production roles and retail jobs.

“We always wanted to provide jobs but also create something we felt was missing on Skye: somewhere for people on the island to eat, meet, watch films and gather.

“We wanted it to be for the community, not just for tourists. 

“We always thought that would be years away, but just as the Aros Centre becoming available felt too perfect, buying Isle of Skye Soap Company felt like too good an opportunity to miss.”

James added: “I have now lived on Skye longer than I ever lived in Glasgow, and if there was a way for me to stay here, I was going to find it. 

“That is probably what the business has always been about for me. 

“It was a way to build a life here, and now it is helping other people build lives here too.

“Working with my brother works well because we complement each other. Of course, we disagree at times, but we have a good balance.

“I am very creative, very design-led and a risk-taker. 

“Raghnall is more analytical and operational, so normally when we work through something, we end up in a better place.

“We are both aligned on all the things that matter – being a good employer and making Skye a great place for people to live, as well as visit.”

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