How the so-called Harrods of the North manages to combine luxury and value
It is difficult to believe that 30 years have elapsed since a scenic corner off the A9 – once the site of a derelict hotel – was transformed into the palatial roadside retreat.
In those three decades, the House of Bruar has become something of a Scottish institution, bringing a welcome sense of permanence in a changing world.
Founded by Mark and Linda Birkbeck, who sold their successful knitwear business to finance its building, Bruar remains family owned, and is now run by their sons, Tom and Patrick.
“Already working with my parents during university holidays, I vividly remember the building of Bruar,” recalls Patrick, “from intense planning negotiations, to being allowed the honour of laying a slab, before being told to leave it to the pros.
“We have a number of long-standing team members, but myself and two others have
been here from the very beginning.”
Bruar’s location by the A9 three miles north of Blair Atholl In Perthshire was a combination of emotional connection and business instinct.
Dividing their time between Speyside and Yorkshire, the Birkbecks had a deep love of the Scottish outdoor life, but Mark also saw the potential of being situated by one of Scotland’s key roads.
The choice was inspired, with Bruar becoming one of the country’s biggest visitor draws. It now attracts twice as many visitors per year as Edinburgh Zoo.
Shoppers range from enthusiastic holidaymakers enjoying a day out to country sports aficionados seeking the latest fishing rods or shooting coats. The biggest high rollers, often arriving by helicopter, can book a private experience after-hours with Bruar’s expert team.
This discrete service with a glass of Bruar champagne in hand has led to the firm’s place as a ‘Best Luxury Experience’ finalist at this year’s Scottish Thistle Awards, but Patrick rejects any attempt to apply an ‘exclusive’ tag.
“It’s wonderful for our team to be recognised for looking after valued clients, but what really drives us is that everyone who comes through the door – or even orders from the catalogue or web – gets a personal, five-star experience.”
We would love eventually to be mentioned in the same breath as Ralph Lauren
- Tom Birkbeck
Bruar’s mail order and online operations are of huge importance. Beginning in 1998, an array of catalogues is now produced, providing focal points for the creation of the two original clothing collections per year.
The Perthshire team, under Tom’s watchful eye, handles everything from sourcing cloths and trims and deciding on the precise cut of a jacket to journeying around Scotland to assess luxurious tweeds and tartans in their natural habitat.
‘Myself and two others have been here from the very beginning’
- Patrick Birkbeck
‘From the very beginning, we have offered luxury, but with value’
- Patrick Birkbeck
Tom has massive ambition for the Bruar label. “We would love eventually to be mentioned in the same breath as Ralph Lauren. We appreciate that’s an audacious ambition, but our team has the talent and dedication, so why not?”
Recent global sales certainly support Bruar’s ambitions. The UK has seen steady growth, but the US has exploded, growing from 6 per cent to 16 per cent of turnover in the last 12 months, helped by the recent launch of a US catalogue.
“We offer a full clothing range, but US customers have really taken to our cashmere and lambswool knitwear, tweed sporting suits and heritage tartan pieces,” says Patrick. “That’s grist to our mill, because those are the pieces that really get our team excited.”
Bruar sources every bolt of its pure wool tweed and tartan from the UK, with Harris Tweed and Lochcarron of Scotland in Selkirk key suppliers. They also collaborate on private commissions with British weaving partners, visiting mills to develop eye-catching tweeds with unexpected flashes of colour.
Other cloths and pieces are sourced outside the UK, and Patrick is honest about the provenance: “From the very beginning, we have offered luxury, but with value. We were the first to offer cashmere jumpers at a competitive price, and that ‘Yorkshireman’ ethic remains with us.
“That dictates a global supply chain, but we also have a huge and growing range of British and Scottish-made product, from Kinrara gin made just down the road to British-made hats using Scottish tartan.”
The benefits of keeping things local are not lost on the team.
Bruar has politely declined all offers to establish branches or concessions, and all other operations, including warehousing, customer services, buying and development are kept within a tight radius of the Blair Atholl site, with the company now employing nearly 350 people.
The advantages of steady, non-seasonal work to the region are clear, but it also makes good business sense, according to Patrick.
“Retaining all functions within Scotland gives us a united focus and a greater ability to sell Scotland as a brand. That’s particularly important with our buying and development teams, who have personal relationships with our Scottish and British suppliers and a deep knowledge of the industry landscape.”
Bruar has mirrored the approach seen with Fortnum & Mason and Harrods, focusing on a single flagship store but extending their reach by investing in direct shopping channels.
So what can visitors to the playfully nicknamed ‘Harrods of the North’ expect when they visit this season?
“Bricks and mortar remain hugely important to us. Doing some work for the 30th anniversary, we realised that not a single year has passed without a major launch or development, and that tempo is being maintained,” says Patrick.
“Visitors this season can expect to see an expanded sale shop, more space in our Scottish rural art gallery, and the smell of baking bread from our new artisan bakery, which is a big hit. That’s along with the usual festivities – hot chocolate from our Scottish winter warmers cabin, all the buzz of the November sale, and the countdown to Christmas.”
