Argyll & Bute couple open candle shop

About the business

Husband and wife Carolyn and Gary Cairns started Loch Fyne Candles in November 2023 after starting to make candles and wax melts as a hobby to take their minds off the Covid-19 lockdown.

The couple is based in Tarbert and began creating the products in their home, which is where they are still made. When the new store is fully refurbished, the candles will be made there.

Carolyn and Gary opened the Loch Fyne Candles store on Campbeltown Road in Tarbert on 23 November 2024, exactly a year after the business first started from their home. The couple hopes that having a physical store will be good for growth, as candles can be hard to sell online when people can’t test the scent.

The business sells hand-poured soy wax candles, wax melts and diffusers. Each candle is a fusion of premium soy wax and carefully selected fragrances inspired by Loch Fyne.

After having a baby in June 2020, the couple got a candle making kit as an activity to do together and discovered a new hobby.

They then started to give these as presents to family and friends and it grew from there. Gary is a web developer and so built their ecommerce site, and Carolyn works in HR.

Their local area inspires the couple, with their candles all being named after local areas of interest. This has a huge appeal to both locals and people who have visited the area. 

Their scent diffusers have a layer of shells in the bottom of the jars to add to the nautical theme.

How Business Gateway has helped

Carolyn and Gary have been working with Business Gateway since they launched and have been able to get advice on funding, as well as branding and marketing for their new business.

Their Business Gateway adviser Donald Melville has been able to provide them with support as they launched and grew. He signposted them to funding and helped with applications, which resulted in them being awarded a UK Shared Prosperity Fund Grant. This funding went towards a laser tool, production equipment, premises building work, signage, Point of Sale items, display items and security equipment that contributed towards the opening of the new store.

Donald also arranged for them to receive a one-hour specialist advice surgery on branding and marketing.

Carolyn Cairns, co-founder of Loch Fyne Candles, said: “The support from Business Gateway has been fantastic. Donald provided some really useful advice, as well as putting us in touch with a marketing expert who helped us to develop our growth plans and brand identity.

“We took the leap to purchase premises that provide us with purpose-built space. The grant funding has helped to put our growth plans into place. We’re so excited to have our own store now and meet our customers face to face, and entice new customers into the store as well. To go from a hobby to opening up our own store in just a few short years has been fantastic and we couldn’t have done it without Business Gateway.”