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From a Living to a Hobby and Back Again,
Generation to Generation.
The journey to today's company starts some 40 years ago when Thomas Hyslop took up leather work full time and began to learn cobbling and constructing small leather items.
A few years later after learning some skills he opened a leather workshop and cobblers on Commercial St in Lerwick on the most northern place in Scotland, the island of Shetland.
There he worked for 8 years honing his skills. It was during this time his son Robbie first turned his hand to leatherwork, stuffing and assembling knitting belts.
Thomas sold his business on and moved his family to the Isle of Skye on the west coast of Scotland, where he began his second enterprise and took over a small upholstery business.
He ran this with success for several years before the yearning to prove himself academically became his main driver. So once again he and his family moved on, this time to Aberdeen where Thomas studied and received his degree and went on to become an Occupational Therapist for over 15 years.
Once again ending up on the west coast in Fort William. Living there during the working week, and at home back on Skye during weekends.
No matter where life took Tom and his family leather work was always a hobby that he continued to persue and perfect. His son Robbie also following in his father's interest in leather craftsmanship.
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In 2009 Tom retired from his job as an OT in Fort William and returned to live in Skye where he opened a small leather shop at the end of the pier in Armadale which services the Mallaig, Armadale crossing as a summer interest and hobby.
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In 2011 Robbie and his wife and child relocated from Edinburgh to Skye. The leather shop at the end of the pier became
"The Isle of Skye Leather Co" and began to grow over the following 7 years taking on new premises and beginning to do more and more bespoke work and start moving some lines toward a wholesale market.
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Between Thomas and his son Robbie the business has a wealth of leather knowledge and a depth of craftsmanship that delivers quality, unique and long-lasting product whether it's a handbag to a simple key fob.