Uncovering the Charm of a Genuine Handcrafted Yurt in Scotland

The Nomads Tent is delighted to welcome Scotland based Red Kite Yurts to this year’s Fringe exhibition, Back to The Nomads Tent. Come and look round Paul's lovingly handcrafted and authentic yurt here at The Nomads Tent.

The story of how Scotland became home to the ubiquitous Central Asian Yurt.

Words by Paul Millard

In 1927 National Geographic published an article named ‘By Coolie and Caravan Across Central Asia’ outlining a trek through the region. Then part of the USSR, it highlighted Kyrgyzstan in particular.

Over half a century on, in 1985, I stumbled across the piece and was inspired and guided only by black and white photos to construct my first yurt. Pitched in the field behind the house, I would host curries and campouts for friends and neighbours.

Whilst attending The Tree Festival in Inverleith Park, Edinburgh in the late ‘90s I encountered the Irish & Scottish Felt Makers in their storytelling yurt reigniting the passion from all those years before and sparking an idea.

In 2000, spurred on by much interest in and requests to borrow the second yurt I built, Red Kite yurts was established from a small workshop on the Hill of Row near Doune, a breeding area for Red Kites, the inspiration for the name.

From a modest lean-to at the house in Row the business moved into larger workshops as it grew. Nathan, my son, helped in the initial set-up of a sew-shop. We now make every part of every yurt we build. Frames, doors, felt linings and all of our covers.

After moving the workshop several times, Red Kite Yurts have, with the help of Birnie and my son Brendan, settled at the Whisky Barrel place, in the Trossachs National Park. One warehouse and show space, a sew-shop and office and adjacent a dedicated workshop for production.

In 2007 I was helped by Stephanie Bunn of Nomadic Felts and the Kyrgyz Embassy in London to establish contact with the Community Based Tourism of Kyrgyzstan. This contact would lead to the first of five trips to Kyrgyzstan (thus far).

In 2010 I spent several weeks there with yurt crafters to make our 40 foot yurt which would be shipped back to Scotland on completion. Though the cover has been upgraded and other parts have been replaced we still use this yurt for hires today.

On my fifth visit to Kyrgyzstan I met with my daughter and her partner James Birnie who would become a partner in the business just a few years on and invaluable to the team.

We met in a remote village or “yurta”, from the Russian for collective farm. Many traditions associated with the “Boz-Uy”, the trellised tent now commonly the “Yurt”, were dismantled by Russia. Only in recent years since Kyrgyzstan established its independence have these traditions thankfully made a comeback.

Our yurts have been loved throughout the UK. From Edinburgh Book and Fringe Festivals in Scotland to Aspects festival in Northern Ireland. Private hires in the Outer Hebrides to Solfest in Cumbria. We have even exported several to Portugal, Norway and Australia.