The Company’s founder, Hugh Mackie, Great-grandfather to our current Managing Director, Alasdair Houston, bought the Gretna Estate consisting of agricultural land and buildings in and around the village of Gretna Green. One of these buildings happened to be the Old Blacksmith’s Shop.

In his time, the flow of runaway couples to marry in the Blacksmith’s Shop was still in its heyday. Many curious visitors were found peering through the windows to this little building and came to knock on Hugh Mackie’s farmhouse door to ask to see inside the Blacksmith’s Shop, this led him to open it to the public for the first time.

With several thousand visitors already arriving to see the building famed by its romantic history, Hugh Mackie effectively opened the doors to one of Scotland’s first visitor attractions.

Over the next 120 years, three more generations of the same family continued the tradition of farming and contributed to the growth of the tourism business in the area. Hugh passed the business on to George Mackie, whose daughter Moira married Adair Houston and from there to son Alasdair and daughter Susan.

Through relentless and offbeat marketing efforts, Adair Houston was largely responsible for making Gretna Green one of Scotland’s most popular visitor destinations. Adair’s vision was to develop a family business that maintained its integrity; developing step by step a first class visitor attraction that is in keeping with its locality and its legacy. Alasdair and Susan continue in their father’s footsteps with a policy of continuous development and improvement of every business activity.

The Company is now involved in tourism, retailing, property investment and development and agriculture.

Gretna Green Group Ltd has a policy of local staff recruitment and ongoing training. A team of 80 dedicated, experienced and loyal staff are directly employed by GGG Ltd and the Company is serviced entirely by local tradesmen. The Houston family is proud of the close and trusting relationship the company has with the local community.

The World Famous Old Blacksmith’s Shop Centre, now one of Scotland’s most visited attractions, is the centrepiece to this successful tourism operation. The company also owns the Canny Scots Shop, a retail outlet situated at the Gretna Green Services Area. With its unique range of quality goods it has already built up a loyal clientele of regular customers.