Market organisers Exclusively Highlands who welcomed more than 12,000 visitors in 2021 look forward to the year ahead
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Exclusively Highlands is a travelling market that was set up in 2006 by Isabel Stewart and is now run by herself and her two daughters, Charlotte and Kirsty Stewart.
They hosted over 150 exhibitors in the last two years across a range of venues in Scotland, from castles to paintball centres.
Locally, they enjoyed the popularity and community feel of the recurring market at Wildwoodz near Munlochy, and look forward to starting again there from Easter time.
Despite the unusual setting of a paintball site, the company managed to transform the venue with props and twinkling lights, to welcome visitors.
The pandemic affected running of the business, and Kirsty Stewart had to find a way to continue safely. Outdoor venues became her saviour.
“There has been a real appetite for shopping small and local for years, but the pandemic has really pushed it to the front of everyone’s mind. Wildwoodz has offered as close to perfection in terms of open air while still retaining our promise to keep venues unusual,” she said.
“Where else can you shop for handmade jewellery from a saloon bar, drink freshly made coffee outside the sheriff’s office and sample artisan street food beside the old smithy all in once place?”
Ms Stewart makes sure there is always a wide range available at the markets, from seafood and game to ceramics, glassware and jewellery.
In 2021, she began theming events around the year, which proved to be very popular.
She continued: “We have had a lot of fun recently with theming the events. It started with Halloween, this is my favourite time of year so we made a big deal at our three day October market. The wild west village was covered in pumpkins, ghosts floated from the roof of the hay barn and skeletons clawed their way from the ground in the archery field.
“A florist was called in to create a floral arch surrounded by hay bales creating the first of our two photo ops along with an Instagram wall, a big pair of angel wings. It’s been so lovely to see the photos when people tag us after their trip to the market.
“Christmas was a particularly special time, with so many people looking to buy really special gifts this year we decided to open later on both the Saturdays of our November and December markets, to give more people an opportunity to visit.
“Limelight helped us to illuminate the forest at sunset and it really gave that Christmassy feeling. I knew the sentiment of Inverness not having a Christmas market and we were so happy to be able to offer people a lovely atmosphere to shop in.”
Wildwoodz will continue to be a key fixture for the markets this year, returning on April 16-17 and being hosted there once a month amidst the busy market calendar.
