The origins of Noost

We make contemporary knitwear that’s rooted in the traditions of Scotland’s coastal communities. Communities of rough seas, howlin’ winds and strong local identity. So we make knitwear that protects the wearer and wraps them in a sense of place.

It all started with an idea—a quiet discussion between founders, Amy & Dougie. We ran with that idea, picking it up from our kitchen table in Glasgow and taking it with us to the Highlands. 

The dream started to feel real when we won Scottish EDGE: our first cash injection and a huge vote of confidence. We just needed a space to make it all happen. And equipment, designs, and graft. A lot of graft.

So we built our workshop in Ullapool, where we create our own knitwear products, and knit for others too. And as we carry forward the local knitting traditions, we bring year-round, skilled employment to the community we’ve chosen to call home.

Noost has taken years of planning, experimentation, and grit. We could not be more excited to have you here. 

Welcome!

Amy & Dougie

Together, Amy and Dougie have spent years exploring. They’ve written guidebooks and played tunes in every corner of Scotland, finding inspiration from the people and landscapes they found along the way. 

Amy studied Textile Design at the Scottish College of Textiles in Galashiels, specialising in knitwear. She probably wouldn’t say this herself, but she’s got an incredible eye for colour and texture. It’s the sort of easy, creative groove that’s baked in from an early age.

Dougie is quite chuffed that his first knitting experience was on a joint artists’ retreat on Fair Isle. Coming to textiles a little later in life, his background is in photography and writing, but he’s also very handy with logistics and project management. Not to mention that he is our ‘Shima wizard’, programming and running the knitting machines after training with them in Hawick.

Now, Amy and Dougie have made their home in Ullapool, starting a family and building a business here. They are proud of the community that they belong to.

Ullapool

Ullapool is a special place. Easily one of the most beautiful spots in the country, with an active arts and music scene. The whole place has a humming, creative vibe. 

The harbour is the buzzing hub of the community and used to host the herring fleets in their heyday. What setting could be more perfect for a knitting business rooted in the work of the Herring Lassies?

It’s also surrounded by some of the most beautiful mountain and coastal scenery in the world. Whether you’re searching for creative inspiration or the space and distance to reset, the landscape here never fails to deliver. It’s the ideal spot for a knitting retreat or workshop.

Shop & Workshop

We’d be delighted to welcome you at our studio/shop. 

Come to 26 West Argyle Street in Ullapool, just one street back from the harbour and right behind the boarding area for the Stornoway ferry. 

Opening hours vary through the year. 

While we’re developing some new lines through this winter, we’re keeping to 10:00 - 16:00, Thursday to Saturday. We’re happy to meet outside those hours to talk about working together.

Join us for a knitting retreat, visit during your holiday, or browse for some yarn—or a new gansey to live your life in.

Gansey 

[Noun] knitted wool jumper, traditionally worn by fishermen.

What’s in the shop?

We don’t only stock our own knits: we have a trove of treasures for hand-knitters too. 

Everything is carefully chosen, as we search high and low for the best tools, books and accessories that fit our ethos of being made locally and with love. 

Of course, we also have yarn. All natural and the sort of fibre that inspires you to pick up your needles and make something. 

Our cabinet of Jamieson’s of Shetland Spindrift is a thing of joy, and we’re honoured to offer local yarns from the likes of Ripples Crafts in Clachtoll and Uist Wool. 

The workshop

From the shop floor you can peek into our workshop and see our Shima knitting machines running.  This is where designs are sampled, prototyped and developed into finished products. 

The workshop is the heart of Noost, where our ideas become real and we help other people to bring their own vision to life. 

In the workshop, we make “Made in the Scottish Highlands” mean something.

 
 
 
 

This is Who We Are

We knit, that's it.

There’s more to it than that, though.

Noost is both a personal creative vision and an open invitation to collaborate. It is a business, a studio, a micro-factory and a community. 

It’s graft. Hard work with purpose. And it’s a link to our shared past, as we look to the future. 

We want our journey at Noost to mean something. We want it to be something that you’re as proud to be part of as we are. 

We are: 

  • Made in the Scottish Highlands 
  • Proud of what we produce and what we do 
  • Doing what we love 
  • Carrying traditions forward 
  • Marrying heritage craft with innovation 
  • A small maker, making a difference 

We believe in:

  • People, place and planet 
  • Quality that lasts a lifetime 
  • Hard work and grit 
  • Sustainability and minimal waste 

We are collectors of stories. We are collaborators. We are local.