As the year winds down, we wanted to take a moment to pause and say thank you. It’s been a big one for us here in Harris – busy, a little chaotic at times, and full of moments that reminded us why we love what we do. Before we take a well-earned break, we wanted to look back at some of the highlights that made 2025 so special.
2025: A Year in Review
A lot has happened over the last twelve months, and choosing just a few standout moments wasn’t easy. But these were the ones that meant the most to us as a team and we wanted to share.
Celebrating 10 Years of Essence of Harris
June marked a milestone we’re still smiling about: a full decade of Essence of Harris. 10 years of candle making, thousands of orders packed, unique scents created, and memories shared with you all.
We wanted to celebrate by giving back to the people who have supported us from day one. We sent £10 thank-you vouchers to our customers, surprised some of our VIPs with gifts, ran our biggest social giveaway worth over £350, and wrapped it all up with a celebration weekend in our Tarbert store.
It was emotional in the best way. Looking back over the past 10 years made us proud, but it also made us excited for what the next 10 years might bring.
Candle Making in Tarbert
This was our second year of candle-making classes in our Tarbert shop, and they’ve quickly become a highlight for our team.
We’ve watched so many unique candles take shape, each one made by customers bringing their own stories and creativity into the workshop. The classes are led by the wonderful Eilidh, who has become a real favourite with our customers. She brings warmth, patience, plenty of good chat, and an incredible knowledge of candle making. She’s a joy to work with and a huge part of why these classes feel so special.
Capturing Summer on Harris
One of the stand-out moments of the year was our summer photoshoot here on Harris. We wanted to show our products in their true home, surrounded by the landscapes that inspired them, and the island gave us the perfect backdrop.
We spent a few days filming and photographing our range in some of our favourite spots, from quiet beaches to cosy homes. We captured behind-the-scenes moments with the team, recording interviews and creating a new brand video that shares more of our story and the people behind the candles.
It felt special to bring the heart of Harris to life in such an honest way, and we can’t wait to share more of those moments with you in the year ahead.
New Scents and Seasonal Favourites
We also expanded our range this year.
In early September, we launched Coorie Moments, inspired by the cosy, quiet season we experience here in Harris in the winter months. Midnight Cherry and Cashmere Woods became instant favourites with customers and our own team alike. We introduced a new jar design, something a little different for us, chosen to reflect the warmth of darker evenings and that feeling of coorie.
We also added festive jars to our Christmas collection. Mulled Wine and Nutcracker Creme, which were so well-loved as wax melts last year, returned in candle jars and have been filling homes with that nostalgic festive glow. Alongside these two is a new scent for this year, Gingerbread House.
Our Biggest Black Friday Yet
Who could forget Black Friday? Black Friday 2025 was our biggest sale to date.
Orders came in from across the UK – from Harris to Orkney, Inverness to London and everywhere in between. We sent orders to Europe and the US for our customers based further afield.
Behind the scenes, it was organised chaos in the best possible way. As everything is made and dispatched from our factory here in Harris, the whole team pulled together to make it happen. We brought in extra hands, and our Glasgow team moved up to the island for a few weeks to help keep things running smoothly under the expert guidance of our production team.
Hundreds of candles found new homes, and knowing our products are being lit in living rooms and kitchens around the world makes every long day worth it.
Have a Merry Christmas
From all of us at Essence of Harris, thank you for being part of our year. Whether you visited our shops, joined a candle-making class, enjoyed a new scent at home, or simply followed along online, we’re grateful for each and every one of you.
We hope your Christmas is peaceful, cosy, and full of moments worth remembering. Our team will be signing off on the 23rd of December for a couple of weeks, and we hope you’ll understand that orders won’t be processed during this time. It gives our island team a chance to rest and recharge before we return in the new year.
Wishing you all the best for 2026, from our island home to yours.
