Bringing the Scottish experience and hospitality to North Idaho. That's the mission statement of Andrew and Tracy Begg, owners of Naturally Scotland in Hayden. 

"Naturally Scotland is your premier destination for genuine Scottish products," Tracy said. "We sell traditional and artisanal goods, from Highland Jewelry to high-quality Scottish teas and coffees." 

The Beggs started their import business in 2015 after relocating from San Diego. 

"I was a dietitian. Andrew was a pilot," Tracy said. "We wanted to spend more time with our children, so Andrew suggested we start a business, bringing stuff over from Scotland." 

Andrew has family roots in Scotland, so it seemed like a plausible idea. 

"My dad is from Glasgow, and my mom is from London. They immigrated to the States in the early '60s, and had me," Andrew said. "We traveled back to Glasgow often — spent a lot of time there. We went to trade shows, and I always thought there were a lot of cool things besides the kilts and bagpipes that haven't been brought over here." 

Andrew now makes an annual trip to his father's homeland to bring back products for their business. 

"I go to the Glasgow Scottish Trade Fair — it's pretty amazing," Andrew said. "There are about 200 large and small Scottish vendors selling all kinds of stuff, most of which has never been brought over to the states. It's kind of frustrating because you want to bring everything back, instead, I can only cherry-pick items." 

Naturally Scotland markets its products at Marketplace@Miles and the New Leaf Nursery in Hayden, the Coeur Street Fair, the Bruce Festival in Bonners Ferry, Amazon, Etsy and its website, www.naturallyscotland.com.  

"Our most popular or best sellers are the handmade Highland jewelry and the Edinburgh Teas and Coffees," Tracy said. "Some of our teas are featured at Kaffe Meister in Coeur d'Alene." 

Tracy said she and Andrew hope to open a store in the not-so-distant future. 

"That's our goal — whatever God allows," she said. We'd love to have a tea and coffee house that has a Scottish theme. We do have our own private label coming out next month, made and blended in Scotland." 

Tracy and Andrew also envision their daughter, Sarah, and son, Brandon, being part of that. 

"Sarah is an experienced barista and has an associate degree in hospitality from Lewis State College. Brandon coordinates our setup and takedown at the events we attend — he's our roadie." 

Andrew said Sarah will be traveling with him and Tracy to Glasgow in January. 

"We'll be at the Glasgow Scottish Trade Fair together," Andrew said. "She'll meet all the people we talk to and do business with." 

Andrew's cousin has a Scottish tea house in Gairloch that they'll visit as well. 

"Sarah also might do a little training at some of the companies we buy from to learn more about their products," Andrew said. 

    Some of the Naturally Scotland tea products.
  

    Assorted items for sale at Naturally Scotland.
  

Now the TidBits   

New and Upcoming  

• Jersey Mike's, 8289 N. Highway 41 in Post Falls, is now open. 

• Mor Furniture for Less, located in the Prairie Shopping Center in Hayden, is open. 

• The Flying Pickle, a state-of-the-art pickleball facility, is now open at The Pointe in Post Falls on 140 N. Beck Road.   

• Golden Rule Brake at 3637 N. Government Way is open for business. 

• The Crescent Moon Bakery at 315 E. Walnut in Coeur d'Alene is now open. 

• Jefe's Tacos and Tequila at 761 N. Idaho St. in Post Falls is now open.   

• Dragon Fly Support Services, a mental health and substance use counseling facility, is now open at 601 E. Seltice Way in Post Falls.   

• Les Schwab Tire Center is now open at 1656 N. Nicholson Center in Post Falls. 

• Sierra Ranch Chili in the Silver Lake Mall is now open. 

• The Coral Cafe is open at 1524 E. Sherman Ave. in Coeur d'Alene.

Ongoing Projects    

• Super 1 Foods broke ground on a new location at Highway 41 and Prairie Avenue in Post Falls.

• American Universal Storage is planned for Spirit Lake along Highway 41, across from the Jiffi Stop.     

• The Ross Point Gas Station is under construction at 310 N. Ross Point Road in Post Falls.        

• A new commercial building is planned for the Riverstone development at 1570 W. Tilford Lane and will bring at least one new dining option to the area. The 7,500-square-foot mixed-use building is targeted for completion this summer.     

• The 33-unit, mixed-use "Nonna" building across from Post Falls City Hall on Spokane Street is anticipated to be completed by October of 2026.  

• A five-story, 173-room Hilton Dual Brand Hotel is planned for a 2.71-acre parcel of land off Lee Court and Appleway Avenue in Coeur d'Alene. The project's start and completion dates are not yet determined. 

Post Falls Business Licenses Filed 

• Legendary Paw Spa, LLC 

• A Touch of the Cascades Landscaping, LLC 

• Inland Motors 

• Two Left Feet, LLC 

• Nightshade Alchemy, LLC 

• • •  

Have a tip on happenings in the local business world? Contact Bob at [email protected].