Before Cairnova had a name, there were days and nights in the Scottish hills: early starts, changing forecasts, challenging routes and a familiar sense of warmth, even on the coldest winter days. The feeling of being where you were meant to be.

Those experiences became the starting point for Cairnova. We wanted to build something rooted in the place we call home, for people who feel that same connection to the outdoors.

We’re Richard Combe and Taylor Inglis, the people behind Cairnova. Our purpose is to encourage more people to spend time in Scotland’s outdoors, making it easier to discover where to go, prepare for the journey and enjoy the experience.

Richard’s background in digital marketing and Taylor’s experience in engineering bring two complementary sides to Cairnova: sharing the places that make Scotland special, and developing the technical gear that helps people navigate the outdoors safely.

By bringing together equipment, practical information and places to explore, we’re building Cairnova to help people feel better prepared, more confident and ready to spend more time outside.

Planning a day in Scotland’s outdoors often meant piecing everything together ourselves. One website for the weather, another for routes and somewhere else to find the right gear. Each offered part of what we needed, but bringing it all together took time.

We started Cairnova to make that process simpler. We’re bringing weather forecasts, route information and technical outdoor clothing into one place, making it easier to decide where to go, what to expect and how to prepare. All shaped around Scotland and the people who want to explore it.

In Scotland, a single day can feel like all four seasons. Sunshine gives way to driving rain, while the ground shifts from wet grass and bog to loose rock and steep paths. We’re developing the Saltire Cairn, our first merino trekking sock, with these changing conditions in mind.

Our focus is on the details that matter over a long day: material choice, fit and construction, considered together for comfort and durability across varied terrain. It’s the first step towards a wider range of technical outdoor clothing, built for the challenges we know first-hand.

Field Intelligence brings together mountain weather, route information and night sky data to help you explore Scotland. Whether you’re choosing a Munro, planning a trail or looking ahead to a night under the stars, it gives you practical information to shape your plans.

Alongside our technical clothing, it’s another way we’re helping people prepare for time outdoors. Equipment for the journey and information to help you make your own decisions about where, when and how to explore.

The Saltire Cairn is our first step. As Cairnova grows, we want to develop a wider range of technical outdoor clothing and continue improving the tools that help people explore Scotland. Our long-term ambition is to see more outdoor products designed and manufactured here, with Cairnova playing a leading role in that future.

We’ll share that journey as it happens, from early ideas and prototypes to the places and people that shape what comes next. Whether you’re discovering your first trail or returning to a familiar summit, we hope Cairnova becomes part of your time outdoors. We’re glad you’re here at the start, and we’d love you to join us on the journey.