On the remote and windswept Isle of Skye, Aoife Gould is quietly transforming what was once seen as agricultural waste into something of beauty and value. A crofter and textile producer, Aoife had no agricultural background when she and her husband moved to the Isle of Skye. However, their shared desire to keep sheep led them down an unexpected entrepreneurial path (Facebook).
“When we took ownership of the flock in 2020, we couldn’t find shearers because of the pandemic”, Aoife recalls. “There was no outlet for the wool, and it would have gone to waste”. Instead of letting it pile up unused, Aoife began researching Hebridean fleece —from the breed they raise— and discovered it was perfect for felting.
What began as a hobby during lockdown has since evolved into a fully-fledged business. Aoife now processes the fleece entirely by hand, using only rainwater, soap, and a considerable amount of elbow grease. Every stage, from shearing to crafting, is handled by her and her husband. “Everything is done locally, and all our fields are within half a mile of our house”, she says with pride.
It’s this complete control over the production process that makes Aoife’s products so unique. “They are deeply tied to the land. Each piece reflects the place it comes from”, she explains. Her creations —felted rugs and practical woollen items— carry the natural colour variations of each sheep, offering buyers a tangible connection to the croft.
Though she never saw herself as an innovator, Aoife now embraces the label. “I’ve learned techniques through online communities and applied ideas from different areas of life”, she says. “We wanted zero waste, so I looked for ways to turn wool, often viewed as a waste product, into a valuable income stream”.
But running a small rural enterprise comes with its own set of challenges, especially as a woman. “Self-belief and access to finance have been the biggest hurdles”, she admits. Aoife is not chasing rapid growth or big profits; her goal is simple: to make enough to contribute to the mortgage and sustain the croft. Yet, most funding models reward scale, not sustainability. “I don’t want to turn over a million or employ 20 people. I just want to employ myself. But there’s little support for that”.
All the investment in her workshop has been privately funded, something she acknowledges wouldn’t have been possible without her partner’s steady income and inheritance money. “It shouldn’t require this level of personal sacrifice to build something so valuable to the community and the environment”, she says.
Looking ahead, Aoife sees mentorship and digital support as key to her business’s growth. She’s working on launching a website —something that was previously eligible for funding but is no longer— and is seeking shops to stock her products. “I often spend more time on peripheral business tasks than actually working with the fleece”, she laughs. “Support to go digital and keep making a living would help”.
Despite the obstacles, Aoife finds deep satisfaction in her work. “I love Hebridean wool, the colours, the texture. Seeing people’s reactions to my products and the connection they feel to the animals is the most rewarding part”.
From humble beginnings and a pandemic-induced challenge, Aoife has woven a story of resilience, creativity, and meaningful entrepreneurship, rooted in tradition, driven by passion, and sustained by community.