Highland Stoneware: A Sure Touchstone
By Kasia Middleton
Assynt, in the north of Scotland, is a landscape that defies eloquent description, though one can certainly try. It feels prehistoric, Jurassic even, littered with ferns and trampled by deer. Above Lochinver, a coastal village where I am lucky to have a friend, rises the sugarloaf peak of Suilven. It is awe-inspiring, and countless tourists on the NC500 glue themselves to their car windows to stare at it each year, as I did a couple of times this summer on my way to visit. It was on the way down from Lochinver to St Andrews this September that, nose practically pressed against the glass, I remarked: ‘I just love it here. It’s so untouched.’ From the back, my friend and Assynt local piped up: ‘Well, it’s funny you should say that….’ I blushed. I have spent many hours of my life writing about Scotland, and I still forget that its Highlands are anything but untrammelled. Ghostly outlines of crofts from the days of the Clearances are visible even from the road.
Quotation in Stoneware outside the Lochinver premises.
Image courtesy of the author.
It is easy to despair about this. To see the landscape as a sad memorial to what it once was. Indeed, we must not forget what occurred on these lands. But, simultaneously, we must not ignore what is happening on these lands now. Their beauty and majesty is not what it could have been, but it still is. That is worthy of celebration. As such, I have chosen to write on Highland Stoneware, a local pottery which produces works inspired by and inextricably linked with the landscape of Assynt.
Left Image: Stoneware car outside Lochinver premises. Image courtesy of the author.
Right Image: Stoneware living room scene outside Lochinver premises. Image courtesy of the author.
In the words of David Queensberry, immortalised on the exterior wall of the Lochinver premises, ‘Highland Stoneware does not strive for lifeless uniformity.’ You become aware of this even before you walk into the shop and studio, presented with a car covered with broken pieces of stoneware, and a larger-than-life living room scene rendered in ceramic. When I first visited in June, I immediately fell in love with the individuality of each item. Every single piece is handmade by a small team. They take special commissions, and when perusing the studio at the back of the Lochinver premises, I took great pleasure in nosily browsing people’s wedding wish-lists and birthday presents. Nothing about the place feels impersonal, or industrial. It is full of life, and the warm welcome is only helped by the open door of the kiln.
Left Image: View of wall outside Lochinver premises, including Queensberry quote. Image courtesy of the author.
Right Image: The kiln at Lochinver. Image courtesy of the author.
The pottery was founded in the 1970s by David Grant, who was born in the Highlands, and for whom the ‘Stoneware Project’ was a dream he began to action within weeks of enrolment at the Royal College of Art. The painstaking process of setting up a local manufacturer in such remote locations is narrated in Malcolm Haslam’s book on the company. This was written in 1999, and since then, the pottery has enjoyed further success, and recently celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. It has been recognised several times by the Royal Family, including the Princess Royal, who visited on the occasion of the pottery’s fortieth anniversary, and the King, who painted his own jug with the Prince of Wales feathers back in 1979.
Stoneware plaque commemorating the visit of the Princess Royal in 2014.
Image courtesy of the author.
But, as noted above, the designs which I most favour are those which celebrate the landscape of Assynt. Now the proud owner of a coffee cup in their ‘Rockpool’ design, I love the way the stoneware and glazes seem to effortlessly imitate that which is found in the nature which surrounds them. I could enumerate the patterns here, but not only would I much prefer readers to browse themselves, I also think there is more value in hearing from the pottery itself. Dorell Pirie, who has been employed by Highland Stoneware for over forty years, kindly agreed to answer my questions.
Stoneware dish in the 'Rockpool' pattern.
Image courtesy of Highland Stoneware.
What is your role at Highland Stoneware and how long have you been involved with the company?
I am currently a general manager at Highland Stoneware, with a particular emphasis on running our Ullapool premises. I've been employed since 1984, when I worked during the summer breaks while studying at Gray's School of Art. A lot has changed since then!
I understand animal designs play a particularly important part in your work at Highland Stoneware. Why do you think animals have been such a consistent motif in your art?
I've probably enjoyed drawing animals since I was in primary school, so to find a job where I was encouraged to retain this interest was a huge bonus for me. Some of the animals we find here in Assynt are very specific to the area, with several being endangered elsewhere, so in a way, I think we have a responsibility to celebrate the local biodiversity and encourage a love of the natural world in our work.
Stoneware tiles depicting a stag wondering Assynt.
Image courtesy of Dorell Pirie.
What is your favourite design/piece you have ever produced?
My favourite designs to paint are ‘one-off’ pieces which often include some kind of wildlife nestled within our standard landscape or seascape scenery, for instance, seabirds on a cliff face, otters in a river, badgers in a woodland, and boxing hares in a landscape. There is always an element of uncertainty when painting something new or unusual because the colours we use change so dramatically when the piece is in the kiln. Sometimes things turn out well... and sometimes they aren't exactly what we expected! The unpredictability is still exciting, even after so many years.
How would you describe the link between Assynt’s landscape and Highland Stoneware?
The link between Assynt's landscape and the work we do here is utterly intertwined. Everything our artists paint is inspired by what they see on their daily commute, a weekend walk, or a mountain climb, or by a boat trip, or even a wild swim. Visitors often comment on how our pieces just ‘are’ a part of Assynt!
We also have a geological project which has seen us locally source rocks and minerals from which we have created actual glazes. We have progressed over the past few years from initially producing very haphazard accidents, to now using several beautiful and consistent glazes which are made with, amongst others, Lewisian gneiss, and Ullapool limestone. This has all been done in collaboration with local geology experts and we are delighted to have been made an official partner of the Northwest Highlands UNESCO Global Geopark.
Stoneware representation of waterfowl.
Image courtesy of Dorell Pirie.
I am grateful to Dorell Pirie for taking the time to answer my questions. The Highland Stoneware shops in Ullapool and Lochinver are open to visitors from April to October. For more information, or to browse their collections online, please visit https://highlandstoneware.com
Bibliography
Haslam, Malcolm. Highland Stoneware. Richard Dennis, 1999.
Highland Stoneware. “Home.” Accessed September 21, 2025. https://highlandstoneware.com.
The Northern Times. “Princess Anne visited Highland Stoneware in Lochinver today.” The Northern Times, July 25, 2014. https://www.northern-times.co.uk/news/princess-anne-visits-highland-stoneware-in-lochinver-today-167849/.