Meet the locals: Edinburgh craft and design hub Bard
Hugo Macdonald and James Stevens, co-founders of Edinburgh-based shop and gallery Bard, believe that craft and design can elevate our daily experience, both at home and in the wider world. The objects they display are a reflection of this, telling stories of Scottish cultural identity and about the people who crafted them. Ahead of the opening of The Hoxton, Edinburgh, we asked the couple for their insider tips on where to go to best enjoy what’s on offer in their home city.
Photographs by Murray Orr
Can you tell us a bit about your business and how long you’ve been a part of the Edinburgh community?
We opened Bard in November 2022 as a home for craft and design made in Scotland. On our travels through Scotland and the islands over the past decade, we’d always found people making extraordinary things. We felt the absence of a place in Edinburgh that brought all these wonderful stories from around the country together under one roof in a way that is engaging and contemporary. During the pandemic, we decided to turn our pipe dream into a reality.
Today we work with more than 60 makers and studios all over Scotland and the islands, bringing stories of Scottish ingenuity and resilience to life in physical form. From art to furniture, textiles to ceramics, objects found and made, historic and contemporary, Bard has a dual mission: to promote Scottish craft on a global stage; and to open people’s eyes and minds to the joy of living with craft in everyday life.
Edinburgh is renowned for its diverse culinary scene. What are your favourite restaurants and bars in the city, and what makes it special for you?
Montrose for exceptional service, totally unpretentious and utterly delicious seasonal food. It’s run by the children of Timberyard’s founders – the care and passion is genuine and runs deep. Nauticus for pints and excellent cocktails in a beautiful hybrid of an old boozer and upmarket bar. Like the best of all things Scottish – it is simultaneously dignified and raucous. The Shore bar overlooking the water of Leith is our favourite neighbourhood joint. There’s little better in life than a smoked fish platter, duck fat chips and a bottle of crisp white wine on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Pierinos for the ultimate smoked sausage supper – an Edinburgh staple.
Are there any lesser-known eateries or cafes that you think visitors to Edinburgh absolutely must try?
Boxwood Tam is a little bakery off the beaten track near Leith Links. Thomas is a French pâtissier and his pistachio filled croissants are one of the most outrageous creations to have passed our lips. Dangerously, the bakery is on the way back from our gym. Razzo, a Neapolitan family run pizza place in Leith, is our favourite; their Mozzarella in Carrozza is a magnificent creation. La Cime deli is on the boundary between Trinity and Newhaven, and everything you would hope for from a neighbourhood café. Their dinner parties are the very best home-cooked feasts.
“Like the best of all things Scottish – it is simultaneously dignified and raucous.”
What are your favourite spots for enjoying a bit of culture?
Away from the big hitters like the national galleries, Fruitmarket and Ingleby, we love Dovecot studios – the original home of Edinburgh Weavers, which has an excellent curatorial program. Inverleith House in the Botanic Gardens has really excellent exhibitions, and the gardens themselves are always a delight. A day trip to Culross just on the other side of the Forth is an enriching, enlightening step back in time.
Are there any particular neighbourhoods or studios that you find creatively stimulating?
We are seaside souls, so Newhaven with its harbour, fishing community and briny smells feeds our imagination. We love the bits of the city where industry butts into urban life, like the mighty Chancelot Flour Mill down by the water. Conversely, it’s a wonderful thing when you get strange glimpses of the raw nature in the city – seeing the sheer crag of Arthur’s Seat rise up as you walk down Easter Road, you’re reminded that this is a city built around an ancient volcano.
On a personal level, what’s your favourite way to spend a day off in Edinburgh? Any specific rituals or activities you enjoy?
We love walking over Arthur’s Seat to Duddingston for a pint in The Sheep Heid Inn. Then getting the bus to Portobello to let Dougal, our lurcher, run on the sand. Edinburgh is a special city where you can be on the summit of a mountain and within an hour paddling in the surf of a sandy beach.
If you could offer one piece of advice to visitors looking to experience the authentic culture of Edinburgh, what would it be?
Stay an extra 24 hours than you might be tempted to, and spend the day exploring one of the wonderful places within easy reach of the city like North Berwick, Queensferry, Culross, the Pentlands or Jupiter Artland.
You can find all of Hugo & James’ tips pinned on our Neighbourhood Map when you come to stay at The Hoxton, Edinburgh. And be sure to visit their incredible space – just a short hop on the tram in Leith. Bard Scotland, 1 Customs Wharf, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6AL
Sign up to our Edinburgh newsletter by clicking here.
Related Stories
The art of tablescaping
with Iska Lupton
Ever wondered how to turn your dining table into a work of art? To mark the start of spring at Seabird, our rooftop restaurant at The Hoxton, Southwark, we invited tablescaping ...
A Berliner shares
her interior design shopping secrets
An interiors writer shares her favourite spots to shop for beautiful design pieces in her home city of Berlin.
Ask the Artist:
Anna Lomax
On a rather grey London day, we popped by Anna Lomax’s studio in Stokey for a healthy jolt of colour and fun. Intrigued by textures and materials, the set designer and creative ...
