David Traill considers himself not just the owner of a successful Inverness business but the custodian of a historic brand. is one of Scotland’s oldest businesses and has been a fixture of the city centre since 1857. Its reputation for quality and service in the country sports field makes it a go-to supplier to everyone from royalty and the super-rich to the weekend angler.
Shop thrives amid changing shopping trends Grahams is the only surviving specialist business of its kind in Inverness and continues to thrive despite changing shopping trends. David and his wife Kate bought the renowned fishing tackle, clothing and gun shop in 2008, serving an eclectic customer base. Estates owned by Scotland’s richest man Anders Holch Povlsen are Grahams clients.
Royal estates including Balmoral, and those owned by the Qatari Royal family in Inverness-shire, also turn to the Castle Street business to kit them out. But as David says: “We’ve had princes and kings come through the door, but also lads that come in on a Friday afternoon for a couple of tubs of worms”. He continues: “They are just as important, perhaps even more so, as they are the guys we see every week.
“That’s always been the success of Grahams. Yes, we have some very deep-pocketed customers who are important to us. “But equally there is the crofter who needs a rifle to keep stags off the grazing.
Everyone is treated the same.” ‘We’ve had a lot of challenges over the years’ Businesses like Grahams h.
