THE founder of a Scottish candle company has bought the soap company which employed him when he was a teenager and inspired his own business idea.
Isle of Skye Candle Company has confirmed it has completed the acquisition of Isle of Skye Soap Company as it marks 20 years in business, giving founder James Robertson – who first developed the idea for making candles while working for the soap company – a full circle moment.
Isle of Skye Soap Company previously imported candles from England, which Robertson – who was 18 at the time – recalled: “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!”
He credits former owner Fiona Meiklejohn with giving him his start, stating: “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."
Two decades on, Isle of Skye Candle Co employs more than 100 people, making candles and reed diffusers in the Highlands and selling them via its website and shops in Skye, Glasgow, Edinburgh, St Andrews and Inverness.
The firm is now run by Robertson, 38, and his brother, Raghnall, 40.
Following the deal, the soap company will continue to trade under its own name, producing natural soaps for its established customer base. Meiklejohn will retire from the business, but the brothers say no jobs will be lost.
Robertson said they would never have sought to compete directly with Isle of Skye Soap Company, but that her retirement opened up a chance to bring the brands together.
Speaking of Meiklejohn's retirement, he said: “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.”
Meiklejohn said: “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.”
In 2022, the candle company bought the former Aros Centre in Portree, turning it into the Isle of Skye Candle Co Visitor Centre, with a shop, production space, Gasta Pizzeria, the Las cinema and theatre, and a wellness studio.
“Las” is taken from the Gaelic for “kindle, light, ignite, set alight”.
Robertson, who grew up in Glasgow but moved to Skye at 18, said the business had always been about making it possible to stay on the island.
“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.”
