Fursbreck Pottery

Fursbreck Pottery works out of a former schoolhouse in Harray, on Orkney's West Mainland. Andrew Appleby, known locally as the Harray Potter, established the pottery in 1977 and continues to throw pots there alongside his son Nicky, trading as Harray Potter Ltd. Appleby's training as an archaeologist informs part of the business: he co-founded Orkney Prehistoric Pottery Research Associates in 2007 to research and reproduce Neolithic and Iron Age ceramic techniques, and the pottery makes replica prehistoric pots alongside everyday tableware including mugs, jugs, teapots, beakers and goblets. Visitors can watch pots being thrown in the workshop and buy directly from the attached shop, and short pottery classes are offered for those wanting to try the wheel themselves. The pottery is one of the longest-established stops on Orkney's craft trail and remains independently owned and run from its original Harray premises rather than as part of any wider retail operation.