Hebridean candle and home fragrance brand Essence of Harris lights up new scents

Hebridean candle and home fragrance brand Essence of Harris has launched a new permanent collection of four scents amid soaring international demand for its products.

The business, which was founded in 2015 by husband and wife Jamie and Deenie McGowan, sells scented soy wax candles, home fragrance, and bath and body products that are all hand-poured on the Isle of Harris. It says the new Elements collection of scents named Haar, Mara, Dusk and Adru captures the natural elements of the island, “from pristine coastline to the rolling peat moorland”, and are available online and in-store at the Essence of Harris boutiques in Tarbert and Glasgow’s Princes Square plus select retailers worldwide.

Essence of Harris says turnover this year is up by nearly a third, and demand overseas has “soared”, with sales to the US ten times higher than in 2021, comprising a tenth of sales. It expects that by 2025, the US will account for 40 per cent of company profits, and China 20 per cent.

Mr McGowan said: “The Elements collection has come around because we wanted to create something that allows our customers to connect and experience a more intimate relationship with the island. This collection is more elevated and connects people to the beauty our home on a more personal level. Harris is such a special place, and I think that’s why appeals to locals and a global audience.”

Other business interests of the serial entrepreneur, whose was named Director of the Year, SME Business, at the Institute of Directors awards in 2019, include Norserv FM, a facilities-management company operating across the Highlands and Islands; and directing a micro-brewery and delicatessen.