L & M Highland Outfitters
One hundred and seventy-five steps. That’s what it takes to turn raw materials into an heirloom-quality horsehair sporran – the purse worn in front of the kilt in traditional Scottish Highland dress. One hundred and seventy-five steps and an immense amount of patience and skill.
But the craftspeople at L & M Highland Outfitters are making much more than just a sporran, or a bagpipe bag, or a genuine ostrich plume feather bonnet. They are making products that people the world over admire, treasure, and pass from one generation to the next. Products that provide many with a precious connection to their Celtic roots, and their family heritage. Products that tell a story.
“We had someone who sent us their grandmother’s fur stole, to have it converted into a sporran,” recalls Peggie MacLean, who has been running L & M Highland Outfitters alongside her husband Joe since 1991. “They were overwhelmed by the fact that we could take that piece of their family history and turn it into a functional part of their highland attire. It’s so much more than just business.”
It is also an art. Each L & M product is handcrafted at the company’s Dartmouth production facility, with one exception: L & M’s renowned leather bagpipe bags. The air bladders into which the wooden bagpipe sticks are attached are hand sewn in Londonderry, Nova Scotia. In fact, they are sewn by the same man who worked for L & M’s original owner, Ed Langille, who started the business over 40 years ago.
Langille and his wife, Sandra, handpicked Joe and Peggie to take over the business. Although both Joe and Peggie were involved in pipe bands and held their Scottish and Irish heritage close to their hearts, they didn’t know much about making sporrans, or running a business. But the Langilles saw in them a passion for highland culture and a willingness to learn. And as Peggie points out with a relaxed chuckle, “There’s no way to learn like by the seat of your pants!”
So, while Joe spent a few months working with Ed to learn the craft of making L & M’s signature products, Peggie worked with Sandra to learn the ins and outs of the operation. And a new chapter to the story of L & M began.
Today, L & M Highland Outfitters is one of the best-known and most respected names in the world of highland attire. They outfit military regiments and RCMP officers across Canada, and distribute to retailers in North America, Australia, Hong Kong, and Europe.
James Henderson owns Henderson Imports, in Traverse City, Michigan, and has been selling products from L & M Highland Outfitters for over a decade. Henderson’s customers are particularly impressed by the L & M items he carries.
“They know they are getting a well-made product,” he says. “Very few companies have the philosophy of L & M – where design, function, tradition and quality are always at the forefront.”
Even shops in Scotland – among the choosiest when it comes to the authenticity of highland dress and accessories – are purchasing products from L & M. “To have the Scots buying our products, that says a lot, “ says Peggie. “It speaks volumes to the quality of what we do here.”
Although firmly anchored in traditional craftsmanship and production methods, L & M also has a twist of modern innovation. Its Scotian bagpipe bag is one-of-a-kind, with a special zipper that allows access to the inside for reed and valve adjustment, but can be resealed to be airtight.
A recent investment in a laser engraver allows L & M to custom engrave pipe band logos on to its leather sporrans, among other things. And the company’s unique ‘Build-A-Sporran’ feature on its website lets customers design and preview their own sporran before having it made. “A customer can actually create a custom-made sporran, something to suit their own taste and design flair,” James Henderson notes. “It’s pretty amazing.”
For Peggie and Joe MacLean, it is amazing that a little company originating from the hills of Londonderry, Nova Scotia, has evolved into a thriving presence in the global marketplace, and an international mainstay of Celtic culture. Amazing, but not surprising.
“I just couldn’t imagine having this company anywhere else,” Peggie says. “The Scots made such a huge impact on this province, and who we are as a people. And customers love the fact that we’re in Nova Scotia – New Scotland. It’s really helped us to grow our business.”
Traditional roots, unmistakable authenticity, and the inspiration to innovate are at the heart of L & M Highland Outfitters’ products, and their story. And they are the heart of Nova Scotia’s story too.
