BEACHCOMBING

I spend time outdoors every day, combing the shoreline for discarded objects shaped by experience. I am especially drawn to finds dating from the Industrial Revolution and Victorian period, and to the traces they hold of our local industrial heritage. Collected before the sea wears them away to nothing, these relics become clues to how people lived, worked and made use of this varied coastline. I find beauty and value in preserving them, researching their histories and sharing the stories they carry.

I founded Scottish Beach Finds almost 20 years ago. It grew from family life and a wish to show our two boys that value can be found where others may not see it. Over the last 15+ years, it has grown into a global beachcombing business, allowing me to spend time on this unique stretch of coastline every day. My obsession with sea-worn relics and their stories has been featured in magazine articles both at home and abroad, and attracts a following of around 15,000. With patience and imagination, it is possible to create “something out of nothing” and to shape meaningful work around the things you care about.

I regularly comb parts of a 40-mile stretch along the east coast of Scotland, in Fife and Edinburgh, while also making occasional trips to the west of Scotland and the east coast of England. Our furthest beachcombing journey so far has taken us to Heligoland, a small island around 70 kilometres off the coast of Germany. One day I hope to visit Texel, one of the largest Frisian islands north of Holland and the setting for the beautiful documentary Flotsam & Jetsam.

If you would like to spend time in our corner of the world and explore this coastline for yourself, our short-term let offers a base by the sea. View our Airbnb and plan your stay.