About Cairnova
We're Richard and Taylor, the people behind the project.
Richard Combe · Taylor Inglis
We both spend a lot of our time walking, camping and exploring Scotland. Before Cairnova existed, we were already planning weekends in the Highlands, researching new routes and spending far too much time checking weather forecasts, mountain conditions and maps before heading out.
Cairnova grew from that.
We come from different backgrounds. Richard works in digital marketing and Taylor is an engineer. Although our careers are very different, we've always shared the same interest in building things, solving problems and creating something of our own.
Based in Ayrshire, Scotland.
The engineering behind Cairnova.
Why We Started
When we first started working together, we explored all sorts of ideas. We looked at buying existing websites, researched different industries and considered a range of products, but none of them really felt like they reflected who we were.
"What could we build?"
"What do we already care about?"
The answer was obvious.
Scotland's outdoors.
The more we looked into the outdoor industry, the more we realised that countries like Sweden, Norway and Canada have brands that are closely connected to the landscapes they come from. Scotland has one of the strongest outdoor identities in the world, but very few brands that are built around it.
That felt like something worth changing.
What We're Building
We started with a merino trekking sock because it was a practical place to begin. Our aim was to design something specifically for Scottish conditions by combining natural materials with modern engineering.
While we were developing the product, we found ourselves building something else as well. Every time we planned a trip, we were jumping between different websites for weather, routes, mountain conditions and local information. We started bringing those things together for ourselves, and over time that became the Cairnova platform.
Today we're working on both sides of that original idea. We're developing outdoor equipment designed for Scotland, and we're building tools that make it easier to explore Scotland.
Where We're Going
Long term, we'd like to see more outdoor products designed and manufactured here. We think Scotland has everything needed to support a world-class outdoor industry, and we'd like Cairnova to be part of that.
We're still building,
and we're glad you've found us this early.
