Rewaco Trikes Scotland, which is based out of Brechin, launched in April of this year, and is the passion project of Gordon Carr and Ellie Whitehead. The duo loved riding trikes on holiday so much that they looked to purchase one of their own.

After struggling to find a trike dealership in Scotland, the pair ended up buying a trike from Derbyshire which sparked an idea to launch their own business to meet demand north of the border.

They approached Business Gateway and received 1:1 support and advice on their business plan, which helped them in the initial stages of the start-up process. Business Gateway also provided advice on company regulations, finding their first business premises, HR, and marketing, which helped them to generate ideas on developing Rewaco’s presence further afield than their base in Angus.

Keen to add to their repertoire, the business duo added a snack bar to their new premises, selling their own blend of filter coffee from Maison Dieu, a local Brechin coffee roaster, and began developing trike tours to allow visitors the chance to enjoy Scotland’s beautiful scenery.

Business Gateway guided Mr Carr and Ms Whitehead to contacts at Angus Council to obtain the correct license to introduce trike tours to the local area. Previous legislation did not include trikes, but with help from Business Gateway, the pair successfully received unanimous approval for their application and took their first customers on a trike tour in August 2022.

They were also introduced to organisations such as Visit Scotland and Angus Tourism, who were able to advise on how to market their business effectively and tap into the tourism sector.

Mr Carr, director at Rewaco Trikes, said: “We realised there was an obvious gap in the market for a trike dealership in Scotland, as there were no trike garages or retail outlets when we went to make our own purchase.

“Our Business Gateway adviser has been so supportive throughout the process. The advice we’ve received has been critical in helping us start-up our business and develop our offering to include tours, which proved to be much more challenging than we had anticipated.”

Stuart Milne, Business Gateway adviser, said: “It has been fantastic to support a business that is bringing something completely new to the area and to Scotland.

“We were able to support Rewaco Trikes through a range of Business Gateway’s start-up services, which I know were essential for helping Gordon and Ellie secure approval for their trike tours.”

Working in association with The Trike Guy for its supply of vehicles, Rewaco Trikes has gone on to sell 15 trikes since launching, with more sales in the pipeline.

Personal tours for individuals are now planned for Cairn O’Mount, Braemar, Glen Clova, and Stonehaven, and are expected to prove very popular over the next season. They also plan to introduce group tours for up to four people next year.