November 18, 2025

A Handmade Christmas on Skye

In Scotland, winter has always been a season of making and gathering. Long before the sparkle of modern festivities, people marked the winter solstice, celebrating the year’s shortest day and the slow return of the light. Later came Yule and Hogmanay, festivals of firelight, food and company that brought warmth and luck to the darkest days.

That same spirit of resourcefulness and care still shapes how we celebrate today, through what we make, what we give, and how we gather.

At Òr, those traditions echo in every piece we hand-pick for the season. Thoughtful work made to be used, kept, and loved for years.

Giving with Meaning

Across Scotland, winter traditions often centred on welcoming light, warmth and good fortune. People hung evergreens, baked Yule bread with hidden trinkets, and burned rowan twigs to bless the year ahead.

In Celtic folklore, the rowan tree, often called the Tree of Life or Lady of the Mountains, symbolises protection and endurance. Its vivid red berries brighten the darker months and were once thought to guard homes from misfortune.

This story runs through our latest collaboration with Pantry Pots, where Veronika’s brush brings the rowan to life, its crimson berries and branching stems winding across sconces and wall hangings, a quiet homage to Scottish folklore and the warmth the tree represents.

Catriona’s rowan berry altars carry the same spirit, sculpted here on Skye alongside her much-loved little stoneware bothies. No two are quite the same, each holding the character of the maker’s hand and the rugged simplicity of the island itself.

The Craft in the Everyday

Many Scottish customs were born from practicality, ways to bring light and comfort to long, dark months. That impulse still lives in the things we surround ourselves with now.

Carrick’s hand-thrown tealight bothy carries that idea, a small refuge of clay and candlelight. Plum & Ashby candles, blended with natural waxes and subtle layered fragrances, offer a modern continuation of the old ritual of bringing light indoors.

And warmth is certainly something you need on Skye in winter. Ryvoan’s knitwear is crafted with Scottish wool on vintage domestic machines and finished by hand. Shaped to last season after season, they are made for frosty mornings and slow evenings by the fire.

Gifts That Last

The best gifts are the ones that stay in use, a ceramic bowl passed around the table for years, a mug that fits the hand just right, a jumper that softens with age. Handmade pieces carry the spirit of the maker and of the person who gave them.

Choosing handmade is a continuation of the same values that have shaped Scottish winters for generations: resourcefulness, generosity and community. Even the smallest details, like a Gemma Koomen Christmas card painted and printed from her original gouache illustrations, hold that same sense of care, the mark of a maker’s touch in every line.