About
McLean of Braemar, established in 1968, is one of the oldest family-run businesses in Braemar. The building itself dates from the mid 19th century and is one of Braemar’s unique buildings. Originally a cobblers, it was designed with the workshop at the back open to the shop at the front, so that customers can see the craft in progress. It has been a horn shop since the early 1960s and Gareth Guy took over from his uncle in 2010. All of the pieces are handmade in the workshop using mainly red deer and roe deer antlers collected from the estates surrounding The Fife Arms. The deer cast their antlers every spring – growing new ones by late summer – and these are collected by the local gamekeepers. The horn is then carved into unique pieces back in the workshop using specialist machines and tools, before being polished to a smooth, tactile finish by Gareth’s father-in-law.
