Published in Scotland Magazine Issue 29 on 25/10/2006.

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Send and deliver

Thanks to mail order, Scotland is never very far away. Kate Patrick stamps approval on some of the players

The essence of Scotland is only a click away, although it’s fair to say that if you picked up the phone you would enjoy the banter that comes with ordering almost anything by mail from a specialist Scottish company.

Part of the fun of bringing snatches of Scotland to your far-off kitchen, living room or wardrobe is, after all, to talk directly to the people involved in their creation. Their passion is infectious; craftsmanship a matter of pride… and humour may well brighten up your day.

So who’s doing what? Well, these days there’s not much you can’t order. Go to the new, attractively designed www.orkneystore, for example, and you can even buy a traditional Orkney chair, among other island products (cheese, oatcakes, malt whisky, jewellery, craftwork) that are perhaps a little easier to mail.

Food and fashion are probably where the most sophisticated mail order action is to be had.

Caledonian Connoisseur (+44 (0)1573 227 310; www.caleyco.co.uk) is usually my first call for fresh foods - an excellent one-stop shop, where they care deeply about how, when and where everything is produced (“we know the name of the boat that caught your scallops”).

The family-run Inverawe Smokehouse (+44 (0)1866 822 446; www.smokedsalmon.co.uk), tucked in between Lochs Awe and Etive on the west coast, has gone from strength to strength during its 30 years, coming up with inventive ways to package and serve smoked fish, meat, sauces and other gourmet products. Get onto its mailing list if only.....

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By Kate Patrick

Section : Scottish Shopping

Page number : 38