A Scottish candle company which began when an 18-year-old taught himself how to make candles in a converted Skye bothy has bought the soap business which gave its founder his first job on the island.
Today, Isle of Skye Candle Company has announced it has completed the acquisition of Isle of Skye Soap Company as it marks 20 years in business.
The deal brings together two Skye-founded brands and represents a full-circle moment for James Robertson, who first had the idea for the candle business while working for Isle of Skye Soap Company as a teenager.
At the time, the soap company was buying candles from England. James asked owner Fiona Meiklejohn whether she would buy Scottish-made candles if he could make them using the same scents.
He bought a book about candle making, a boiler and some wax, and began experimenting in a converted bothy on his uncle’s croft outside Portree.
Two decades later, Isle of Skye Candle Co employs over 100 people and sells candles and reed diffusers handmade in the Highlands through its website and shops in Skye, Glasgow, Edinburgh, St Andrews and Inverness.
The business is now run by James Robertson, 38, and his elder brother, Raghnall Robertson, 40.
The two brands will continue to operate separately following the acquisition, with Isle of Skye Soap Company continuing to produce natural soaps which have helped it grow a loyal customer base.
While Fiona Meiklejohn will step down from the business, there will be no job losses.
James said: “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.
“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!”
James said the company would never have competed directly with Isle of Skye Soap Company, but Fiona’s retirement created an opportunity for the brands to come together.
He added: “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 commented: “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 acquisition is the latest major step for Isle of Skye Candle Company which has expanded significantly beyond its original home fragrance business.
In 2022, the company took over the former Aros Centre in Portree and transformed it into the Isle of Skye Candle Co. Visitor Centre.
The site now includes a flagship shop, production space, Gasta Pizzeria restaurant, Las cinema and theatre, and a wellness studio.
Las takes its name from the Gaelic for “kindle, light, ignite, set alight”.
While James grew up in Glasgow, he always felt a strong connection to Skye, where his mother was born, and moved to the island as soon as he turned 18.
He continued to build the candle business while his brother Raghnall was studying at university. Raghnall invested some of his savings in equipment and later helped turn the early experiment into an established brand operating Scotland-wide and exporting around the world.
Raghnall commented: “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.”
Five years in, the company moved into premises in Broadford, with a shop upstairs and candle production below.
As the company grew to five shops, increased online demand and built a wider network of stockists, its workshop was no longer fit for purpose.
In 2021, the former Aros Centre became available, giving the company the chance to expand on a much bigger scale.
Raghnall continued: “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.”
To find out more, visit www.skyecandles.co.uk
