Once you start looking for ironmongers, they’re everywhere although not every ironmongers has a website. Check the blog page for updates and please let us know if you find one that isn’t already mentioned and give us the contact details.
I’ve found them in villages like Tarbert on Loch Fyne, where McKays does a good trade in fishing tackle, bait and advice about scuba diving. In the Borders town of Jedburgh, Dorricotts Ironmongers, which uniquely displays a rack of sewing silks alongside fireguards, fenders and grates, provides a goods and repair service for trail and mountain bike enthusiasts.
Bill’s Tool Store has been a cornerstone of the Barras in Glasgow for generations and its been said that if the Tardis breaks down, that’s where Dr Who will go to find the tools to fix it. Although I feel the Scotstoun Emporium would come a close second.
In Lochgilphead, where there are two ironmongers, Danny’s will sell you a goldfish along with garden supplies and a new hand drill. In Kinross, Sands is famous for being able to source absolutely anything for the thousands who go each year to T in the Park. A collection of figurines and very fine china brings customers from far afield to David Irons & Sons in Forfar as well as general ironmongery and farm and country supplies. In terms of unusual stock, perhaps the biggest surprise was to learn that Urquhart’s in Auchterarder once sourced a zebra skin rug for a customer.
For every ironmonger’s shop that I’ve heard has closed in recent years, I’ve visited at least ten that are thriving. A clue to their success is the way they understand and respond to their customers and communities. Key cutting and tool sharpening are perhaps the most traditional services provided by ironmongers but many have diversified into, for example, mixing paint, engraving, photocopying and delivering garden supplies. And everywhere, they’re ready to explain how things work and help you solve problems. They’re kindly places.
