AN OUTDOOR sports enthusiast from the Borders is hoping to reach new heights after buying out Craigdon Mountain Sports’ Edinburgh store, with two of his colleagues.

Kris Easter and friends Jonathon Fountain and Martin Quinn, who have worked in the Fairmilehead store since it launched in 2015, have taken over at the helm of the business which supplies walking, snowsports and climbing clothing and equipment, along with tents and camping accessories.

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They stepped in and purchased the business after the previous owners, who founded the chain more than 25 years ago, decided to sell up earlier this year.

The Capital store is currently closed for refurbishment and will be re-launched in November, offering a range of premium UK suppliers including Rab, Mountain Equipment and Altberg, along with ski brands like Atomic and Nordica.

Border Telegraph: From left: Martin Quinn, Jonathon Fountain and Kris Easter, outside the Craigdon Sports shop in Edinburgh

Kris, who lives in Stow near Galashiels and is a keen climber, said: “It’s great to have the opportunity to purchase the business, the three of us started here together and we are passionate about continuing to serve our incredible, loyal customer base.

“We all love outdoors sports and I think that is why so many customers come back to us and recommend their friends, they know that we have a wealth of practical knowledge of our products that you just can’t get online or from a bigger chain which is much more impersonal.

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“We found that demand for outdoor clothing and equipment soared during and in the wake of the pandemic as people realised how much they benefitted from hitting the great outdoors. Lots of people wanted to try something new and found they loved it and have stuck with it.”

The store, which employs 10 people, will feature 3000 sq ft of retail space on the lower ground floor of the distinctive timber fronted building, with Sainsbury’s taking space on the ground floor of the building and a Cobbs café on the upper floor.

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Kris added: “We will initially be concentrating on building our customer base in Edinburgh as you couldn’t have a better location for the store than at the foot of the Pentland Hills and just a mile from Midlothian Snowsports Centre at Hillend. Further down the line we hope to open new stores in other locations such as the West Coast of Scotland and the Borders.”