Meet Aimee Holt, the Talent Behind Carrick

Aimee Holt is the creative force behind Carrick, and we're really excited to share her work with you at Òr.

The name Carrick—meaning "rock"—is inspired by the rugged coastline near her hometown in rural Galloway, where she draws much of her creative inspiration. Aimee’s work reflects the untamed beauty of Scotland, translating its raw, windswept landscapes into beautiful pieces. Each one is hand-built and hand-thrown (yes, that means lots of clay covered aprons!) and entirely unique.

Aimee’s journey into ceramics started during lockdown, a time that changed everything for her. "When the pandemic hit, I was lucky enough to be furloughed, and while at home, I bought a bag of clay and started playing around, hand-building little pots," she recalls. She continued to teach herself armed with ‘trial and error’ and YouTube tutorials, but it wasn’t until she took a beginner’s course at the Edinburgh Design School that she truly fell in love with pottery. "I’d found something that I loved and could see myself doing," she says.

Aimee threw herself (and her clay), into practising every single day on her new pottery wheel! Eventually, she invested her savings in a kiln, turning her hobby into a small business. "I started out selling on Instagram," she shares. "Then I moved into wholesale, and last year, I finally launched my website."

One of her favourite materials to work with is black stoneware, which gives her tealight bothies their distinctive character. "I love the coarse, volcanic texture of black clay after it’s been fired," she says. "It reminds me of the black rocks you find on Scottish beaches."

Aimee’s work is inspired by wabi-sabi - a Japanese philosophy that encourages people to find beauty in imperfection. She often leaves parts of her work unglazed, celebrating the raw, tactile quality of the clay itself. It’s this thoughtful simplicity that makes her pieces so captivating.

Her tealight bothies are a perfect example of her work, and have just arrived at Òr, both online and in-store. They’ve already become a favourite! Each one captures a little bit of Scotland’s wild spirit, along with the warmth and tradition of Scottish bothies to boot! 

You can explore more of Aimee’s work on Instagram @carrickceramics and shop her tealight bothies here.