Bard: Crafting a Feast for the Senses

Bard describes itself as ‘a shop and gallery for Scottish craft and design’. But these simple terms fall short of capturing its uniqueness. There is no word that adequately describes what Bard is and does, as a visit to their beautiful premises in Leith immediately reveals.  

Bard’s founders, husbands Hugo Macdonald and James Stevens, had long dreamed of creating “a physical environment that celebrates the heritage and future of Scottish craft simultaneously”. Within this physical space, their ambition was to demystify craft through storytelling, and to show by example, how to live alongside it today. At the back of their minds lay their admiration for two inspiring places; Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge, and London’s egg in Kinnerton Street, Knightsbridge.  

Image: Armoured vessels by Daniel Freyne / Photography by Murray Orr

Hugo describes himself as a curator, strategist and critic, passionate about “things that bear the mark of time and use”. James is an architect, designer and maker, who “brings soul to space by understanding the relationship between craft and architecture, materials and interiors”.  

At the start of the Covid pandemic, they were working as consultants in the south of England. But Hugo’s roots lie in Skye, and they were keen to return to Scotland. The lifting of restrictions accelerated their plans. It felt like the right time to create “something in the real world, with and for people”. Their vision was to reframe perceptions of Scottish craft through showcasing and promoting high-quality craft by makers offering a contemporary take on traditional skills. Bard’s physical location and interior spaces perfectly encapsulate that aim.  

Hugo and James knew they wanted to be based in Edinburgh, and that they were not seeking premises on a city-centre shopping street. After several unsuccessful property viewings, they found themselves sitting outside the Shore Bar in Leith, an area they knew well. Leith, a port with a long cosmopolitan history of moving goods and people in and out, is now home to a dynamic, expanding community of creatives.

Looking across the water, they became aware of the ideal building immediately opposite. A two-storey domestic-scale property dating from 1822, it was once the stable block annexe to Scotland’s oldest customs building, Leith Customs House. Now, it was the townhouse home of Kestin Hare’s menswear brand. Serendipitously, the building became available a week later. It felt like a sign. Six weeks later it was theirs.  

Hugo and James immediately embarked on a ten-week tour round Scotland, meeting numerous makers, designers and manufacturers and immersing themselves in “who is making what, where, how and why?” They were mindful of the importance of really getting to know their makers and of investing time and resources in developing ongoing relationships with them.  

Image: Wall display at Bard / Photography by Alice Meikle

Bard opened its doors in November 2022 and rapidly made its mark as a destination for those seeking exceptional craft and design. Here, every object exhibits an innovative, fresh dimension, whether Eve Eunson’s Fair Isle Strawback chair, Jennifer Kent’s Sanquhar knit pattern rug, Iseabal Hendry’s sporran or Jasmine Linington’s seaweed cushion. Among the ceramics, the exceptionally talented artist Frances Priest has made a series of multi-purpose encaustic ceramic ‘Tile Trivets’ unique to Bard. These ‘jewels for the home’ reflect the characteristic colours of Skye’s coastline, beloved of both Frances and Hugo. 

Image: Eve Eunson’s Orkney chair / Photography by Edvinas Bruzas

Furniture and blacksmithing, less regularly visible in Scotland’s craft galleries, are showcased here. Oliver Spendley, originally apprenticed as a boatbuilder, makes show-stopping tables and sculptures melding hewn wood with monolithic local beach stones, redolent of his home at Durness. Agnes Jones, an art blacksmith who ‘draws in steel’, works in a variety of scales from sculptures to homeware. Visitors to Bard are greeted by her delightful ‘Peerie Fish’ above the front door.   

Image: Sanquhar Glove rug by Jennifer Kent / Photography by Murray Orr

The route to selection involves an initial discussion, perhaps leading to a visit: they are keen to spend time at the maker’s own workshop, learning how and why they make. While Hugo and James are very open to discovering work by new makers who share their vision, they cannot accommodate unsolicited ‘drop-ins’.  

Image: Orkney Ghost Rope hanging by Mark Cook / Photography by Edvinas Bruzas 

Bard displays craft within two sensitively decorated domestic-scale rooms on two floors linked by a curving stone stair, lit by natural light through sash windows overlooking the water. Here, objects can be appreciated in the context of an appropriate setting rather than in a white cube. Open display ensures visitors can appreciate their tactility and smell. Bard is a sensory experience as well as a destination: a little world in itself.  

A key element of what Bard does is storytelling around the objects (hence the name). Hugo and James are passionate about revealing the ideas, people and objects which together forge Scottish identity, past, present and future. Their specific mission is to convey the social and cultural urgency of sustaining and developing Scotland’s hand skills and knowledge-based practice. Makers need buyers to keep their skills alive. 

Image: Alcove with Charles Rennie Mackintosh chair / Photography by Edvinas Bruzas

For the future, Bard may organise more pop-up events like the one held earlier in the year at Boath House near Nairn. Over the course of a weekend, objects were brought to life through being used in the context of a special occasion. The aim is to “put things into people’s souls rather than just their hands”. Such events reflect Bard’s key values: ‘Bold, Kind, Fun’.  

Image: Hugo, James and Dougal / Photography by Alice Meikle

James loves his work as a commissioning partner for those wishing to incorporate craft in public or domestic projects, acting as a bridge between architect and maker. Hugo’s background as a journalist and curator gives him access to large networks of contacts through which Bard can spread its message. But there’s a third member of the core team: Dougal, their beloved four-year-old dog, offspring of a Bedlington whippet and a collie greyhound. Dougal’s main contribution is to encourage visitors to make themselves at home by demonstrating the comfort of the furniture – a job he carries out with aplomb. 

‘A Scottish Enlightenment’, a show of new candlesticks by 20 makers from all over Scotland, opens at Bard on Friday 15 November.