One Year in Marchmont
A New Chapter for The Nomads Tent
It hardly seems possible, but this August marks one year since The Nomads Tent opened the doors to its new gallery in Marchmont.
After more than 30 years at 21 St Leonard’s Lane, moving the business to a new home was a pretty significant change. The St Leonard’s Lane warehouse had been part of The Nomads Tent for decades, and for many of our customers it was as much a part of the experience as the rugs themselves. It was a place where you could rummage through piles of textiles, discover an unexpected piece of furniture or spend considerably longer than intended looking through a collection of rugs.
The move to Marchmont marked the beginning of a new chapter, and now, a year on, it feels like a good time to look back at where we've come from and what the past year has brought.
From St Leonard’s Lane to Marchmont
The Nomads Tent has been part of Edinburgh's independent retail scene since 1983. Over the years, 21 St Leonard’s Lane became a treasure trove of rugs, furniture, textiles, pottery, jewellery, architectural pieces and artefacts gathered from across Persia, India, Afghanistan, Turkey and beyond.
It was a wonderfully eclectic mix, reflecting the way the business developed over more than three decades. You never quite knew what you might find.
But businesses change, and so do the spaces they occupy. The move to Marchmont gave us the opportunity to rethink what The Nomads Tent should look like today.
The new gallery is smaller and more focused. Rugs remain at the heart of what we do, alongside textiles, kilims and a selection of jewellery and other smaller pieces. We have left the days of enormous pieces of furniture behind, but the things that matter to us have stayed the same: finding interesting, well-made pieces and giving customers the chance to discover something with a bit of history and character.
A Year of Rugs, Stories and RugToks
Our first year in Marchmont has certainly not been dull.
We've welcomed familiar customers who have followed us from St Leonard’s Lane, as well as plenty of new faces discovering The Nomads Tent for the first time. Some people come in looking for a particular size or style of rug. Others pop their head through the door simply to see what's there and end up getting drawn into a conversation about where a particular rug was woven.
We've also had some rather unexpected success online.
Our #RugToks have taken on a life of their own, with several videos reaching thousands of people across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. It turns out there is a surprisingly large audience for watching rugs being unrolled, examined and talked about. Who knew?
And, of course, there have been the regular deliveries. Shipments from our trusted suppliers in Iran and Afghanistan arrive packed with rugs and kilims, each one different from the last. Unpacking them is still one of the best parts of the job. Even after all these years, there is something rather exciting about pulling back the layers and seeing what has arrived.
The Nomads Tent, Then and Now
Although the shop looks different from the St Leonard’s Lane warehouse, our approach hasn't changed very much.
Since the business began in 1983, we've been interested in things made by hand, particularly pieces where you can see the skill and individuality of the person who made them. Rugs and textiles are especially good at carrying those stories. The patterns, colours and weaving techniques can tell you something about where a piece came from and the traditions behind it.
Our commitment to fair and ethical trading remains at the centre of the business too. We work with trusted suppliers and continue to source pieces from the regions and makers whose work we have valued for many years.
The collection may now be more focused, but there is still plenty to discover.
Come and Celebrate Our First Year in Marchmont
To mark our first anniversary, we're saying thank you with 15% off everything in-store and online.
The anniversary offer runs from 5th August to 29th August.
If you've been meaning to come and have a look around the Marchmont gallery, this seems like a pretty good excuse. You might be looking for a particular rug, searching for a textile, or simply wondering what has arrived since your last visit.
And if you haven't visited us since the move from St Leonard’s Lane, we'd particularly love to see you.
It's been a big change, but after a year in Marchmont, it feels like we've found our feet.
Thank you to everyone who has visited, bought something, recommended us to a friend, followed our slightly unexpected adventures on social media or simply stopped for a chat. After more than 40 years, we're still finding new ways to share the things we love.
Here's to the next chapter.
The Nomads Tent
Marchmont, Edinburgh
