Keen to share her creative passion with Barra locals and visitors to the island, Barra Pottery owner, Nicola Souter, bought Castlebay Hotel in 2022, with a view to creating a pottery studio within the premises.
Since purchasing the business, Nicola, a former social worker, has installed a kiln and a brand-new studio, where she has created various pottery items for use within the hotel. These have included crockery for the dining room, which has provided a great opportunity for her work to be showcased to visitors.
Nicola has been teaching community classes on a weekly basis, sharing her passion for the craft with locals. She has also run workshops at the local school.
As well as developing crockery for Castlebay Hotel, Nicola has also been commissioned to create pieces for people living locally, including for use in tourism accommodation properties.
Since taking ownership of the hotel, Nicola has worked with Business Gateway to help make her vision for her pottery studio a reality.
Through the service, Nicola accessed a range of start-up support services, including advice on how to write a business plan, as well as understanding routes to funding.
Nicola was awarded grant support through the Outer Hebrides Young Enterprise Support Scheme (OHYESS), which is funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and delivered by the Comhairle’s Business Gateway team. This funding support has helped the business with costs of new equipment, and the general refurbishment of the new workshop.
Over the winter months, Nicola will keep making stock items to sell and has plans to run residential workshops over the next year.
Nicola Souter, owner, Barra Pottery, said:
“Accessing support from Business Gateway was a game changer for setting up my own studio. Their encouragement and expert guidance helped me navigate everything from business planning to market strategies, and they also signposted me to vital funding opportunities that allowed me to invest in the right equipment.
Theresa Irving, Business Gateway adviser, said:
“It’s been a pleasure helping Nicola bring her vision to life and see her passion transform into a successful workshop. I’m happy we were able to provide funding that made a real impact on her ability to invest in the tools required to get the studio up and running.”
To find out more about how Business Gateway can help your business, visit the Business Gateway website.