A wee wooden shop at the side of the road

In June 2019 (seems like a lifetime ago!) I had a fantastic trip on the Outer Hebrides. I first stayed 5 days on Harris and Lewis, meeting renowned Harris Tweed weavers, enjoying the white-sand beaches of the islands, driving on winding roads and photographing dramatic landscapes and friendly sheep.

Then I embarked on a ferry in Leverburgh on Harris, to go to Berneray on North Uist. I knew very little about North and South Uist, and was not too sure what to expect, apart from beautiful scenery, of course.

After a quick lunch in Berneray, my partner and I started driving and quickly spotted a very cosy-looking cabin on the side of the road. We parked our car next to it and entered Coralbox GIft shop, which was one of the cutest shops we had ever been in! Looking back, I wish I had been less shy, and engaged with Eilidh, the owner of the shop. I did not know about her incredible story and only found out later, while following her Twitter account. While I cannot go yet to visit her again and have a face to face conversation, she kindly accepted to share with me her journey, and answer my questions.

Eilidh Carr, Coralbox gift shop owner and photographer

Meeting with Eilidh Carr, photographer and owner of Coralbox gift shop

Atelier Escapades : You left Berneray and North Uist, where you were born, to study photography in Aberdeen. How was it to have such a big change in your life? Had you first planned to stay on the mainland?

Eilidh : After finishing my school studies here on Uist, I moved first to Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis aged 17 to study Gaelic and then onwards to Aberdeen 2 years later to study photography. Moving first from an island like Berneray to Stornoway, definitely helped bridge the huge gap and shock of moving so young from a tiny island to a bigger city like Aberdeen.

When you are younger and grow up here on the islands, there is always a pull to leave when you are old enough to either study or live away on the mainland. The bright lights and new world of the city are too exciting not to miss.

I studied photography for 2 years in Aberdeen and after completing my course, I worked at John Lewis department store for a year afterwards while deciding my next steps of what to do. During my time in Aberdeen I was kept busy with studying and also photography related jobs such as photographing music events, portraits, wedding photography and even nightclub & bar photography. It was all a great mix of living, working and studying in a new city and busy environment.

When I first moved to the mainland and to Aberdeen, I had no thoughts of returning home to the islands where I had grown up, I wanted to live away in a city. But as time went on, I would return home for holidays to the Outer Hebrides more and more, I missed the quieter life and the beautiful beaches that Aberdeen didn’t have. And in the summer of 2015, I moved back home to Berneray.

North Uist
Photography by Eilidh Carr – Coralbox

Atelier Escapades : How did your business idea start, and grew up? What inspired you?

Eilidh : After moving back to Berneray aged 23, I was unsure of what would follow, if I would stay for a long period of time or what work I could do. I knew I wanted to continue to use my own photography and from this a small idea began to grow. Using my own photographs I had taken locally around the island, I started to sell coasters, mugs and other items all printed with these photographs. I purchased equipment allowing me to print my own coasters and mugs here at home and in my own time. During the summer of 2015, I first started selling these items at craft fairs, tabletop sales and shows around the islands. As Coralbox began to grow from this, I then converted a 2 berth Dalesman caravan into my first small shop for 2016 – a base for people to visit and buy items. In June of 2016 work also began on my new purpose built wooden gift shop, in which my gift shop Coralbox trades from today. 

Coralbox gift shop caravan, 2016 Photography by Eilidh Carr

Atelier Escapades : You started your gift shop in a self-converted van, which has now become a beautiful wooden cabin on a stunning location with breathtaking views on the sea. Can you tell us a bit about the process of setting up, and building your shop? What were the main challenges of setting up your business in Berneray?

Eilidh : When I first started selling my own printed coasters and mugs at craft fairs, little did I know that years later I would have my own purpose built wooden shop and be self-employed. I had not planned on building a shop or even Coralbox being my full time employment, but looking back now it has all worked out better than I could ever have planned or imagined. Growing from small events such as tabletops, to then converting a caravan and to then building my shop, it has all been a lot of hard work with plenty of ups and downs but I wouldn’t change anything. It was a great way to scale up slowly and now I see the demand for my shop increase year on year.

My dad and I designed the new purpose built wooden shop in which Coralbox trades from today, with my dad building it from scratch himself. One of my favourite parts of my shop is my lilac coloured floor! It was great to be able to build and design Coralbox, both the inside and outside from the beginning. Iit means so much more being involved in the build from the start and that family has helped create such a wonderful business.

I received no funding or grants during the startup or growth of Coralbox, but instead I used income from my shop being open in my converted caravan and also savings. Looking back it did make it more difficult but I can now say, we did it all on our own and the hard work has paid off all these years later.