A lovely little pottery down on the bay in Cromarty. Lots of great pieces to take home and use…read more Lots of the pottery is made in glorious blues and greens that perfectly reflect the colours of the water in the bay. The pieces are made by a German lady, Bärbel Dister from Hamburg. We have a few mugs, a salt shaker and a lovely spoon rest from here and we always visit when we're in the area.

We found this place by accident last year, purchased a few quirky items (a mug, a spoon rest and an…read moreunusually shaped salt shaker, both in pretty greenish, blueish colour). I just fell in love with these luminous colours, that pick up the blues and greens in the Highlands that we admire so much every day. But of course there's plenty of colours to choose from. This pottery is the perfect thing for me to take home and to remind me of my beloved Scotland when I sit in my office in Hamburg, having a cuppa and wishing I were back in Scotland. Just HAD to come back this year for more! We bought some beautiful mugs, very reasonably priced, small mug £10, big ones £12, there were also huge ones for £17. There's a good choice of items, the owner often sells them in her shop herself. Had a look at the website before we went there this year and found out that Cromarty Pottery, originally opened in 1965, and probably is the oldest still operating in northern Scotland. It is now run by Bärbel Dister, who happens to be from Hamburg, like me lol. I am really suprised about the prices, I just love handmade pottery, and I have bought my fair share in both Scotland and Ireland, most were much pricier. If you consider it's all handmade, every piece is unique, and the colours are just so beautiful people don't mind spending 10-12 quid for a portion of fish'n'chips in a restaurant, but 12£ for a mug is too much? I really don't get it. We'll surely be back on our next holiday, we've agreed to phone in a few weeks before to get a few things in the colours we'd like, maybe even take a class if we can get together a group of 6-7 people.

Iceberg Glass is a very cool glass blowing shop right on the coast of Loch Ness…read more They have pieces of art of all sorts, like small statues, necklaces and other jewelry, mirrors with mosaic glass edges, and even little souvenirs like magnets and keychains. So if you couldn't tell from the list of items available, not every single item in Iceberg Glass is made by the glassblower, but those intricate items that are - those are the pieces to really go for! We even got to see the glassblower at work behind a glass partition, which was so cool. I picked out a glass blown necklace that was a deep red and so beautiful. They also have some items that are probably more for the local patrons vs. trying to bring them home in your luggage if you're a tourist - like incense, candles, and oil lamps (I think that's what the one I saw was, anyway). Iceberg Glass is a treasure of a shop, where you can get local, artisan pieces which would be great for a thoughtful gift, souvenir, or just a nice piece of art for yourself

Now this is a unique gift to bring home. Located in Fort Augustus, this charming little glass…read moreblowing shop was amazing. Visiting this shop is not merely shopping but an experience watching glass blowing and creative art. Iceberg Glass Blowing Shop had a live glassblowing demonstration. Watching the skilled artists transform molten glass into exquisite works of art like jewelry is amazing. I'm obsessed. The staff at the shop are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their work. They are eager to share the history and techniques of glassblowing, answering any questions. I bought my mom the cutest earrings. Loved this!

This craft store has everything! it is small and cluttered but the owner knows where everything is…read more Every inch of wall space is utilised to display an absolutely massive array of crafting goodies. If your hobbies include cardmaking, beading,cross stitch (as mine do) you will find yourself in hobby heaven. The range of embellishments carried by Bee Crafty is worthy of a much larger store. The staff are all committed crafters and so willing to discuss your project, especially at quiet times, that a small purchase can lead to a long happy discussion. On the rare occasion that an item is not in stock orders are willingly placed with suppliers. This is a store that you will come back to again.

I really like this shop. Friendly and knowledgeable staff with a genuine interest in creativity and…read moretechnique. Stocks lots of different media, canvas and boards. Feels a bit crowded, but they have packed a huge amount into a tiny space. So glad I found this shop.