WHY CHOOSE PERTH?
Mark Robertson: What Perth Means to Me Mark Robertson of Robertsons of Scotland talks about launching and growing an international luxury brand from rural Perthshire.
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ark Robertson is the founding director of Robertsons of Scotland, a luxury clothing brand specialising in cashmere, tweed, and waxed waterproofs. The brand ethos is pared back indulgence, with high-end fabrics and a limited colour palette bringing the exclusivity Mark set out to achieve. Based in Auchterarder in rural Perthshire, the direct-to-consumer and wholesale business has grown to serve an international audience since it launched in January 2019 and is currently set to move into a new, purpose-built studio. Mark hails from Perth, and having spent many years travelling as he built his career, he has returned to the fair city to raise his daughter, and grow his business. How did the idea for Robertsons of Scotland come about? I’ve worked with multiple corporates over the years, largely in oil and gas, manufacturing, and exporting. I’ve always wanted to fly my own flag and see my brand placed all over the world. I worked in manufacturing for over 20 years and had an understanding of factories and how they work. I knew I wanted to create a distinctly Scottish brand – people all over the world love Scottish products! I’d been lucky enough to meet Peter Toner, the man responsible for growing Harrods online, when I worked at EMI and he gave me the idea for doing two colours and a clean,
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simple, brand identity. It inspired the whole brand. You’ve travelled extensively over the years; what made you decide on Perthshire as a base for your business? Choosing Perthshire as my base was easy; I’m a Perth boy and it’s important to me that my daughter grows up with me at home. I didn’t want to travel the world with kids. When you travel a lot, you realise where your heart is – this is home for me. But of course, it had to be right for the business, and it is. There is a huge kudos attached to being based in Perthshire. Canada, Scandinavia, the States, Japan – they all love it. It gives weight to the brand.
Our Perthshire base gives us a way to connect to people. You look around and it’s uninterrupted scenery and a beautiful backdrop for photoshoots. When we’re at international shows it gives us a way to connect to people and offers an authentic talking point. And of course, we’re neighbours with Gleneagles Hotel so I’ll meet our manufacturing and wholesale customers here, which is always well received!
Logistically, we’re located in the heart of Scotland which means I’m no more than an hour or so away from our manufacturers. This was crucial to the business because it meant I could have a personal relationship with the people who were at the heart of our process. And how important is that close relationship with your manufacturing partners? I’d say that it has been the single most important decision we’ve made. Building strong relationships with Scottish factories has allowed us to create the quality and luxury that we need to differentiate ourselves on the international stage. We work with Halley Stevensons for our waxed cotton who service brands such as Dubarry and Barbour, and our cashmere products are manufactured in the same Scottish mills as international fashion houses such as Burberry, Hermes and Chanel. We now have new stock dropping every quarter and our factory partnerships help us deliver on our promises. During covid, these relationships kept our business alive. What have been the most important lessons you’ve learned in the past two years? Well, the thing about success is that once you’ve achieved it, you have to maintain that drive and learn how to adapt.
