Hi Friends! One of my favorite discoveries from our Scottish adventures is a unique company called Heathergems. The only manufacturer of its kind, the Heathergem company produces beautiful jewelry and other gift items from the stems of the heather plant.
I first saw these interesting creations at the James Pringle Shopping Outlet in Leith, Scotland (a decent place to look for a few souvenirs, if not a tad bit on the kitschy side – I did once find a very cute hat!). Since I was last in Scotland, I have seen Heathergems for sale at the Celtic shop near my hometown here in the States.
Aside from the Scottish thistle, perhaps no other flower epitomizes Scotland the way that the heather plant does. It makes me think of the 1954 MGM musical Brigadoon – Gene Kelley singing to the beautiful Cyd Charisse about the heather on the hill and the pair falling in love as they glide effortlessly over the moor. Sigh…