A colourful addition for Crieff High Street
Empty building to be filled with tartan
The former Frank Thomson building in Crieff’s East High Street is to get a new lease of life, the Herald can reveal.
It was a sad day for the Strath capital when the flagship local business closed at the end of last year.
But now House of Tartan, which currently operates out of Comrie, has taken over the large two-storey premises. Extensive internal renovations are being carried out and managing director Phil Pass hopes to be open in the spring.
He explained: “We are moving in over a period of five months. There is quite a lot to do but we are busy with it. The move will allow us to consolidate our whole business in one premises.
“We are very sorry to be leaving Comrie. It has been good for us and we have worked hard to grow the business from there but we simply ran out of space. We are really sorry to part company with our landlords in Comrie as well. Lawers has been very gracious and supportive of us over the years.”
House of Tartan has a global reputation and is still the only business in the world that has devised a way of producing ribbon in any tartan.
The technology has been expanded to also include other products in “out of weave” tartans.
The larger Crieff site will allow the tartan specialists to carry out their mail order business and tartan ribbon production and will also give more room for its retail and kilt hire departments.
Phil continued: “We are unique in the tartan business in that we very rarely say no out of hand – if people come to us with something to do with tartan, we like to try and solve their problem.”
Phil added he would be maintaining the historic feel of the building. He said: “Frank Thomson’s had been there for 115 years and the decision to close the business was not taken lightly. We also aim to try to give credit to the history of the site.”
Local MSP Roseanna Cunningham said: “It was a sad day for Crieff when the doors closed at Frank Thomson’s for the last time after over a century of trading on the High Street and so it is really good news for Crieff that the property will now be taken over with House of Tartan bringing the shop front of their successful business to the town.
“As well as filling an empty space on the High Street, House of Tartan will be a very welcome addition to the retail mix in Crieff and I wish them all the very best as they expand into larger premises.
“There is, of course, one downside to this news and that is, of course, that there will now be a retail space needing filled in Comrie. I very much hope that the gap left by House of Tartan’s departure can be filled as soon as possible.”
Crieff Succeeds Business Improvement District ( BID) manager Neil Combe also welcomed the news.
He said: “We are delighted that House of Tartan is coming to the town.
“Crieff is an exciting place to do business, with a diverse range of businesses and a growing tourism sector.
“House of Tartan have ambitious plans and their move here is a vote of confidence in the local community.
“With new businesses opening all the time, their arrival is just another sign that Crieff is on the up and up and I’m looking forward to seeing them open.”