Highly prized by collectors throughout the world.

Experience the skill and dedication of craftsmen and women at first hand, as they throw and decorate the unique hand-painted Buchan Pottery table ware at Crieff Visitor Centre.

Buchan Pottery History

Buchan's was established in Portobello in 1867 by Alexander Willison Buchan. A pottery had been on the site since the early 1770's making brown and white ware and house bricks. There were also several others located in the vicinity -Thomas Rathbone being the best known - making flagons, demijohns and highly sought after decorative pieces. The concentration of these potteries in the area was due to the local availability of a rich seam of clay essential to the process.

A contemporary advertisement announces that Buchan's were "makers of Bottles, Footwarmers, Jars, Flagons, Jam Jars, Extract Pots". Whilst the catalogue of the International Exhibition of Industry, Science, and Art, held in Edinburgh in 1890, adds "Farcy Spirit Jars or Jeroboams - plain or decorated, Extract of Meat Pots, Honey and Mustard Jars, Water Filters, Telegraph Insulators and Coloured Earthenware Vases".

Following this exhibition, Buchan's were proud to proclaim on their letterhead "only two gold medals were awarded at tlre Edinburgh Exhibition for Pottery and Glass and one of these was awarded to us for plain and fancy stoneware."

Early in this century, Buchan's successfully obtained many patents for stoneware items, most notably its elegant oval bedwarmer - something that was soon to be replaced by the rather less attractive rubber item. It also began to enter long-term contracts with food and beverage companies - making some of the first Bovil jars (then called Virol) and the early stoneware bottles for Stone's Ginger Beer, amongst others.

Many of these early Buchan items are highly prized by coilectors throughout the world.

The Present Day

Buchan's moved to Crieff in 1972, continuing its tradition of making high quality, hand made and hand decorated stoneware.

The company now makes decorative flagons for many of Scotland's leading whisky distillers, as well as a distinctive range of 'Thistle' stoneware for the home.

Many whisky flagons are destined to contain 'special' presentation malts - fifteen, twenty years old, or even more. As such, they have to have the design appeal and quality of appearance to complement the contents. Many of these flagons have intricate gilded, or hand applied transfer designs. When filled with their precious contents they are exported to most of the world's major markets.

Similarly, much of Buchan's hand painted tableware is sold overseas. The unique 'Thistle' design and the quality of hand decoration is representative of the very best in traditional Scottish craftsmanship. At the Crieff Visitor Centre, you can view the processes involved, watch throwers at work and our artists decorating pieces by hand. There is also an extensive display of finished products, and of course, the famous 'Thistle' pottery shop.

Buchan Thistle Pottery is now available in our online shop. TAX FREE if you are outside the UK and EU!