The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Kiltmaker adapts with new funding
One of Scotland’s largest kiltmakers, hirers and retailers has raised funds to help modernise its business.
Highlandwear firm Mccalls has seven branches in Scotland, including Dundee and Broughty Ferry.
It has revealed investment plans after securing funding through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) via the Royal Bank of Scotland.
The pandemic forced the company to diversify its ways of working in the face of temporary store closures and wedding postponements.
The past 11 months have seen its 84-strong workforce adapt to conduct virtual consultations through Zoom. In-store fittings became socially distanced, when restrictions allowed.
The new funding package will allow the business to update its marketing strategy and incorporate its new-found ways of working in the years ahead.
In addition, it will support with staff retention and retraining, and ensures the continued operation of its Tillicoultry factory, Daiglen of Scotland.
This facility is essential to ensuring the quality of handmade kilts supplied by the firm.
Iain Hawthorne, who took over the business nearly 40 years ago, has expanded it from modest beginnings as an independent store.
The managing director said: “Coronavirus brought with it a number of difficulties, but our resilient team have been fantastic in adapting to new ways of working to ensure our operations can continue.
“Thankfully, we have been able to move 90% of Covid affected bookings to new dates due to their hard work.
“Our most valuable asset is our staff, and the funding has supported us in retaining their expertise.
“As a result, we are even
more optimistic for the future.”
Established in 1887, Mccalls has its headquarters in Aberdeen. It also has outlets in Elgin, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
As well as renting and selling Highlandwear for special occasions, it sells Scottish giftware and a mix of antique and contemporary jewellery.
It was founded by Daniel Mccall, an international auctioneer, and his wife Annie Mccall, a market trader who sold from a stall in the Castlegate area of Aberdeen.
The business initially sold second-hand goods, mainly clothing.
But an influx of imported clothing and the rise of the
high street stores meant the demand for secondhand clothing diminished.
The business saw an opportunity to specialise in all Highlandwear products whilst making their availability affordable through hire.
Mccalls’ Stirlingshire traditional kiltmaking factory, Daiglen of Scotland, also has a long history.
The two-storey building was originally built in 1846 and was the house of a Mr Archibald of Archibald Mills, who was the owner of what was then called Tillicoultry Woollen Mill.
Mr Hawthorne praised the Royal Bank of Scotland for its support, singling out relationship manager Carol Gray for her advice.
He added: “The support has been excellent – the relationship we’ve built with Carol over the years is solid, and her expert advice is always appreciated.
“Really, it’s the people at the heart of the bank that make the difference, and we’ve always been made to feel valued customers.”
Ms Gray said: “The wedding industry and its suppliers have been particularly affected by necessary pandemic restrictions, so CBILS funding has been essential in supporting this industry stalwart to adapt.
“We’re looking forward to witnessing their continued growth in the coming months.”
Kirkcaldy-based start-up Better Internet Search and Danish-led Partisia Blockchain have secured a grant from the Eu-funded Next Generation Internet Trust to develop a new alternative search engine.
The NGI Trust supports the development of a human-centric internet and provides grant assistance for projects via the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
Today’s internet search engines have an estimated four billion active users.
With Google holding market dominance at 85%, demand for a more usercentric internet that respects privacy and offers a better experience has grown rapidly in recent years as investigations and antitrust cases continue to hit the headlines.
While most search engines make their money through advertising, Better Internet Search and Partisia Blockchain are working together to develop an alternative that is both privacy-preserving and completely ad-free.
Rather than using valuable processing power and bandwidth to serve ads to users, the new approach to internet search engines leverages advanced algorithms to prioritise the results that searchers actually want.
With a token-based internal currency system and by leveraging Partisia Blockchain’s bespoke privacy-preserving solutions, the two are challenging the current advertisement model by using their proprietary data science technology, combined with the highest levels of privacy and security.
Better Internet Search was launched in December 2020 by serial tech entrepreneur Dr Gordon Povey of Kirkcaldy and promises increased privacy, fewer ads, and less bias,
He said: “Ads not only get in the way of the results users want, they also bear click-bait, fake-news, scams, and other malware.
“With an ad-based model, users are not really the customer, they are actually the product that is sold to advertisers.
“At Better Internet Search, we have developed a new user-centric model that puts the customer front and centre, eliminating advertising and ensuring built-in user privacy at the core of everything we do.”
Partisia Blockchain, a Web 3.0 platform built for trust, transparency and privacy, boasts a team of well-known industry luminaries among its ranks, including world leading cryptographers, developers, and entrepreneurs in the area of Multi-party Computation (MPC), a unique privacy enhancing technology.
Kurt Nielsen, co-founder and president of Partisia Blockchain, said: “For decades now the internet has operated in the same way, while in the meantime, the world it serves has changed dramatically.
“Privacy on the internet is now non-negotiable and is demanded from users, enterprises, and governments alike.
“Our collaboration with Better Internet Search will ensure that privacy is built-in at the new search engine’s core, meaning users no longer need to worry about the risks and fears of sharing their personal data when using the internet.”
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has pledged to become a less bureaucratic organisation in a bid to woo growers ahead of a crucial vote on the future of a statutory levy for the potato sector.
The organisation’s chairman, Nicholas Saphir, told an online meeting of Scottish potato growers that work was under way for a “radical change” at the levy body, which he described as “overstructured and overly bureaucratic”.
The ballot on whether or not a statutory levy should continue for the potato sector runs until March 17. It follows a similar vote for the horticulture sector, where 61% of growers rejected the continuation of a levy.
Both Mr Saphir and AHDB potatoes board chairman Alison Levett used the meeting to warn growers what they could lose if they vote against keeping a levy.
Ms Levett described a vote to keep the levy as a a vote to deliver a “big programme of change”, while Mr Saphir urged growers to ask themselves “what next?” if they are deciding to vote against the levy.
When asked if the potential loss of both the potato and horticulture sector levies would put the future of AHDB at risk, Mr Saphir said although it would result in a 20% cut in income, it would be “traumatic but it (AHDB) won’t suffer terminal decline”.
He added: “I have a deep worry, personally, that if AHDB ceases to provide a horticulture and potatoes role I don’t see anything that will replace it.”
Limousins sold to a top of 42,000gn at the breed’s early spring sale in Carlisle where averages were up across the board.
The sale was conducted by Harrison and Hetherington and 69 bulls sold to average £8,118.48 – up £1,470.02 on the year – while 38 females averaged £3,163.82 which is up £706.82.
The sale leader, selling to the Alford family for their Foxhillfarm herd in Cullompton, Devon, was September 2019-born Pointhouse Paul from Northern Ireland breeder Michael Diamond. He is an embryo transfer son of Goldies Jackpot, out of Pointhouse Jewel.
The next best price of 30,000gn was paid twice.
First at this price, selling to Messrs Jenkinson for their Whinfellpark herd near Penrith in Cumbria, was April 2019-born Cloughhead President from the Huttons at
Setmabanning, Keswick, Cumbria. He is by Cloughhead Loxley and out of Cloughhead Cindy.
The other at 30,000gn was July 2019-born Goldies Positive from Dumfries breeder Bruce Goldie. By Goldies Nimble and out of Goldies Lisette he sold jointly to Hartside Farms, Lamington, Biggar, with the other half retained by Messrs Goldie.
Other leading prices: 25,000gn for Cloughhead Patrick, by Twemlows Morpeth, from the Huttons selling to Messrs Pritchard, Rochester; and 19,000gn for Goldies Pilot, by Goldies Fandango, from Bruce Goldie selling to Messrs Howatson & Son, Denbigh, Wales.
Bruce Goldie also made 10,000gn selling Goldies Oswald, by Wilodge LJ, to R Kennedy, Aberfeldy, while the Dick family’s Ronick herd, based at Mains of Throsk, Stirling, topped at 10,000gn for Ronick Puppet, by
Ampertaine Jamboree, selling to Messrs Moore & Son, Kellah, Haltwhistle, Northumberland.
Other prices included: 10,000gn for Trueman Piccolo from Northern Ireland breeder Henry Savage, selling to Messrs Anderson, Glencarvie, Strathdon; 9,500gn for Maraiscote Peanuts from Wishaw breeder Ian Nimmo, selling to Messrs Stout, Stronsay, Orkney; 8,500gn for Pointhouse Pat from Michael Diamond, selling to Messrs Cooper & Son, Kincaldrum, Forfar; and 7,500gn for Westpit Patriot from A & J Gammie, Drumforber, Laurencekirk, selling to Messrs Telfer, Sandwith, Cumbria.
Females topped at 6,000gn for March 2019born heifer Norman Patteron from the Norman Farming Company at Little Orton Farm, Carlisle. By Norman Largo, and out of Norman Mosaic, she sold to Messrs Hoggarth, Ulpha, Cumbria.