We believe the best books are the books you write yourself.
Have you ever wanted to run away to a remote Scottish forest, and live in a wild, beautiful old place, surrounded by animals, earning your living by working at a traditional craft?
We did just that. We founded ElrohirLeather in 2015, and in 2019 we moved our business, our horses, and ourselves to the remote and beautiful Southern Uplands of Scotland, and Elrohir became our full time job.
Our workshops are located at Brockloch, an ancient farmstead, which was the C16th Clan Seat of the MacMillans of Galloway. It was a derelict semi-ruin when we moved here, and we are slowly renovating the old stone buildings and and neglected land.
People have lived and worked here for hundreds of years, and we follow in their footsteps. Everything we make is handmade. We use traditional leatherwork techniques (and a touch of modern technological wizardry). We make the best books we can and ship them, from our isolated little Scottish homestead, to every part of the world.
Meet the team!
Mischa Rose
I'm the chief designer and leatherworker at Elrohir. It's usually me who you'll talk to if you mail us or hang out on our Facebook or Instagram pages.
I'm a medievalist with a PhD in C15th literature and law, and my longstanding fascination with the Middle Ages probably shows in my leather design. The initial capitals, the small creatures, the scrolled vines, the detailed, vivid illuminations of medieval manuscripts, painstakingly crafted on parchment leather, underpin my own style--except of course mine are carved onto the leather covers of the books (I'll leave you lot to write the inside bits!) I am obsessed by books.
I taught Old and Middle English in my old university department for years, then worked in marketing for a long while before ditching real life jobs to work with horses. Leatherworking--mostly horse tack--became an accidental full time occupation very quickly after that, but the lure of books remained, and Elrohir was born. I mean, what could possibly be better than making books that people can write themselves?
When I'm not working, you can usually find me out running in the Scottish hills, usually training for some Ultramarathon or other. Otherwise, I'll be with the horses--I have six (and they really do look like unicorns!) Our old Scottish farm is also home to dogs, chickens, rare breed sheep, and an elderly and bad tempered parrot called Polly Pobs. I don't get much sleep and I can't remember the last time I had a day off, but making books surrounded by animals and hills is a grand way to spend your life, and probably what I'd be doing if I had a day off anyway! :D
Simon Fox
Our Collaborators
Here are the super-talented people who team up with us to bring you lovely fabulous things.
Midge at Midge Porter Design
Hi. My name is Midge, the face behind Midge
Porter Design. I am a freelance textile designer who lives and creates in the
rural Glenkens region of Galloway, within Scotland’s first UNESCO Biosphere
Reserve – internationally recognised as a world class environment for people
and nature.
I have been working in collaboration with
Elrohir Leather since 2021, designing and creating complementary textile
products for their wonderful leather journals. I hand sew wallet inserts, book
bags, pen quivers, etc. I am also a natural yarn and embroidery thread hand
dyer, and a cross-stitch/ blackwork embroidery designer.
Sam Deacon
I'm Sam Deacon. I live in Herefordshire with my wife and daughter. I am a self taught fine line fantasy artist, working mostly with ink and pencil with the rare dabble into the world of colour.
My art is my hobby, I have a full time office job. I take a lot of inspiration from classic authors and artist such as Brain Froud, Terry Pratchett and Raymond Briggs to name a few. Another big inspiration was my Father, he was an artist for 50 years.
Most of the steampunk (or 'mechanimals') have been commissioned by people all over the world. My art lives in every continent, including tattoos all over the place! Each piece I essentially draw twice, I will complete a full size rough draft on white paper in pencil, before I redraw the piece in tanned paper where I will 'ink it'.
Another subject I draw is nature inspired creature creations, as well as whimsical structures, magical bookcases... Lots of mushrooms appear all over the place as well (even though I cant stand eating them!)
I hope you enjoy my "doddles" as much as I have drawing them.
