A quick story. 

Late last year, we were driving through the Scottish Highlands, on our way to the Applecross Inn, when all of a sudden we hear a loud bang.

Unfortunately for us, it was the sound of our tyre bursting after hitting a pothole.

It was New Years' Eve, and we spent the next hour standing on the side of the road in the rain changing a tyre. Not fun. 

I was wearing three jackets at the time. One to keep me dry. One to keep me warm. And another for the pub where we were going for a nice meal.

But I wished I'd only been wearing one. A heavier, cosier jacket that would also keep me dry.

None of the jackets that we'd made so far could withstand what mother nature was throwing at us. 

And that’s when the idea for Batch No.5 was born.

So we started by looking into the past for inspiration for jackets that could do what we needed ours to do.

We looked at the U.S. Navy for their over-shirts that left them warm while on duty in cold North Atlantic.

Then to the loggers of the Pacific northwest who needed something to withstand the elements and could also take a beating.

And we found mountain jackets, jac shirts and tough outerwear made from heavy wool. They were some of the most rugged jackets we'd seen. Some had even been handed down multiple generations, they were that good.

The clothing was built for purpose and form always followed function.

But we wanted to design something that was utilitarian at heart but looked as good as it performed. Something you could wear to a restaurant, or on a hike.

Nine months later, Batch No.5 - The Applecross Jacket is ready. 

But those nine months weren't so straight forward. We hit few more potholes along the way.

Our biggest challenge was choosing the right fabric. And it was the fabric that we least expected that came out on top. More on that soon.

The Applecross Jacket will be available to order at 9am GMT on the 7th November, 2020.