Craft Town, Scotland

I know it’s so old school to admit it, but I love paper. Writing letters and postcards, getting the mail, peering through magazines, etc. And I tend to clip things of interest from magazines. That’s how I somehow holed away an article from a craft magazine some years ago about somewhere called “Craft Town, Scotland”, never guessing I would likely even visit Scotland, let alone live here. Sorting through my things, I found it again and thought I’d look into it a bit more.

I learned that West Kilbride, nicknamed “Craft Town, Scotland” was only a fifty minute train ride from Glasgow and on the west coast. This wee town of over 4,000 inhabitants has a long history which include periods where weaving and agriculture were the predominant industries.

Like many post-industrial towns in Scotland and elsewhere, local people look to find ways of sustaining the town’s vibrancy and West Kilbride branded itself as a place supportive of artisans.

Small homes that used to be weaver’s cottages are now studios for artists and one of the town’s churches has been turned into an arts center*, called The Barony Centre.

It’s a really lovely re-use of the building and while I was there they had just opened a Scottish pottery exhibit that was really interesting with works from all over the country. The Barony Centre also has a little shop with works from local artists and an award-winning cafe.

Probably my favorite thing about West Kilbride though were the people. As I arrived, I was taking a few photos and an older man came up to me to chat. Watson, as I learned, was a former Baptist minister who used to live in Glasgow but moved to West Kilbride. He chatted on happily for about ten minutes and wished me well in my explorations.

A bit later, I veered off the main street to wander among the homes and when I stopped to check out a beautiful front garden a woman called out to me: “Are you new to town? Or just visiting?” She chatted with me a bit and pointed out some things I should be sure to find.

A clerk in a produce store and another woman in a neat knitting and weaving shop were also very kind. It felt a bit like walking into the village of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple – St. Mary Mead. In my brief visit, I met such warm and hospitable people.

While I’m afraid my crafting talent leaves a lot to be desired, it was fun to fantasize about gathering some of my more talented crafty friends – you know who you are – moving into one of those cottages and living the village life for a while. Any takers?

*By the way, Scotland seems to do a really good job at adapting churches for other uses. I can think of churches that have been turned into pubs/restaurants, apartments, theaters and, in this case, an arts center.