MacKinnon Watches Named Finalist in Allica Bank's Great British Entrepreneur Awards

Key Takeaways

• MacKinnon Watches has been named a finalist in the Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards, shortlisted in the Family Business Entrepreneur of the Year category for Scotland.
• This is our third time being shortlisted for the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, which received over 5,000 applications for the 2026 cohort.
• The GBEA is one of the UK's most recognised entrepreneurship awards, often described as the Grammys of entrepreneurship.
• MacKinnon Watches was founded by husband and wife Belinda and Matthew Murphy, who moved from London back to the Scottish Highlands in 2020 to build the business.
• The awards celebrate the resilience, ambition, and stories behind British businesses, not just their revenues.

We've got some big news to share. MacKinnon Watches has been named a finalist in the Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards, shortlisted in the Family Business Entrepreneur of the Year category for Scotland.

We won't pretend it hasn't sunk in just yet.

What the Great British Entrepreneur Awards Actually Is

If you haven't come across the GBEAs before, here's some context. Founded in 2012, the awards are widely regarded as one of the most prestigious entrepreneur-focused recognition programmes in the UK. People often describe it as the Grammys of entrepreneurship, which sounds a bit over the top until you see the alumni. Founders of brands like Grenade, ClearScore, Zilch, and Unbiased have all been recognised through the programme, many of them early in their journeys.

What makes this awards programme different from a typical business award is its focus on the entrepreneur, not just the business. The judges are interested in the decisions that got made under pressure, the resilience it took to keep going, and the ambition behind the scenes. That framing matters to us, because our story has never been a straight line.

The scale of this year's cohort gives some useful context for what a shortlist spot actually means. Over 5,000 applications were submitted. 740 businesses made the shortlist. Together, the Class of 2026 represents a combined turnover of £3.3 billion, more than 17,700 jobs supported, and over 5,200 years of combined trading experience across ten UK regions and nations.

Our Third Time on the Shortlist

We've been here before, twice in previous years, and each time it's meant something different. When we were first shortlisted, we were still very much finding our feet. Building MacKinnon Watches from a wee Highland cottage into a brand that ships worldwide has involved a lot of long nights and genuinely hard choices. Being seen by a panel like this, in the early days, told us we were pointed in the right direction.

But returning to the shortlist for a third time, in the Family Business category specifically, feels particularly meaningful. Because that's what we are at our core. Belinda leads the growth side, from brand and marketing to partnerships and day-to-day operations. Matthew leads the making, bringing precision and care to every watch that leaves our workshop. And the two dogs, Helga and Maple, are doing their part by making the Highlands slightly less lonely during the hard weeks.

The Family Business Entrepreneur of the Year category exists to recognise exactly that kind of venture. Not the businesses with the slickest pitch decks, but the ones where real people have put their names, their savings, and in our case, their relocation back to Scotland, behind something they genuinely believe in.

Why This Shortlist Spot Resonates

We started our story in 2020. Belinda and Matthew had been living and working in London, but their hearts, as they've always said, were firmly in Scotland. The pandemic created space to ask some honest questions about the kind of life and business they wanted to build. So they moved back to the Highlands, to the foot of Ben Nevis, and started making Scottish watches with authentic tartan straps woven by mills that have been producing tartan for generations.

What we make carries genuine meaning. Our custom tartan watches let people choose from over 1,000 tartans, with every strap handmade in our Highland workshop. We're a proud member of the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, and we take that seriously. Heritage isn't a marketing word for us. It's the whole reason we exist.

Getting shortlisted for an award that recognises entrepreneurs who, as the GBEA puts it, "get on and build" feels like the right kind of recognition for that kind of business. We're not the loudest brand in the room. We don't have a venture-backed war chest or a celebrity endorsement. We're a family-run Highland business that's found our place in the world by doing things carefully and staying true to what we set out to do.

What Happens Next

Being a finalist means we'll be evaluated alongside the other shortlisted businesses from Scotland. A panel of independent judges will assess entries in depth before winners are announced at the GBEA gala ceremony later this year.

We don't know the outcome yet. And honestly, reaching the 2026 shortlist for the third time already feels like the kind of recognition that matters, win or not.

But we'll keep you posted. And in the meantime, we'll keep doing what we do: making watches that people wear to mark the moments that matter, from Scottish weddings and Highland adventures to gifts for the people they love most.

If you'd like to have a look at what we've been building, our full collection of Scottish tartan watches is a good place to start. So are the reviews from the 9,000+ customers who've trusted us to wear their heritage on their wrist.

A Note on What This Means to Us

Building a business is relentless. The conversations you never hear about are the ones at 11pm when you're wondering if it's going to work, when an order goes wrong, when growth stalls, when you have to make a hard call that affects people you care about. None of that shows up on a shortlist notice, but all of it is why shortlists like this mean something.

We're proud to represent Scotland in the Family Business Entrepreneur of the Year category. And we're genuinely grateful to every customer, stockist, and supporter who's been part of the MacKinnon Watches journey so far. You're part of what got us here.

Explore Our Scottish Watches

Curious about what we make? Our custom tartan watches are made with authentic tartan from Scottish mills and can be personalised with engraving and your own clan's tartan. We also offer a range of ready-to-wear collections including the SKYE Collection, the Heritage Collection, and tartan watch straps for Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy. Free UK shipping, worldwide delivery, and a 2-year warranty on every watch. Browse the full collection here.

FAQ

What are the Great British Entrepreneur Awards?

The Great British Entrepreneur Awards, often called the GBEAs, are a UK-wide recognition programme founded in 2012 that celebrates entrepreneurs and business founders based on their resilience, innovation, and the stories behind their businesses. They're supported by Allica Bank and are widely described as one of the most prestigious entrepreneur-focused awards in the UK.

What category has MacKinnon Watches been shortlisted in?

MacKinnon Watches has been shortlisted in the Family Business Entrepreneur of the Year category for Scotland in the 2026 Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

Is this MacKinnon Watches' first GBEA shortlisting?

No. This is our third time being shortlisted for the Great British Entrepreneur Awards. We've been recognised by the awards in previous years as well, which makes this shortlisting particularly meaningful to us.

Who founded MacKinnon Watches?

MacKinnon Watches was founded by Belinda and Matthew Murphy, a husband-and-wife team who met while studying in Aberdeen. In 2020, they moved from London back to the Scottish Highlands, to the foot of Ben Nevis, and began building the brand from their cottage.

What does MacKinnon Watches make?

We make Scottish watches with authentic tartan straps sourced from Scottish mills that have produced tartan for generations. Our range includes custom tartan watches, ready-to-wear collections, tartan Apple Watch and Samsung straps, and Scottish-inspired jewellery. Every watch comes with a 2-year warranty and free UK shipping.

How competitive is the GBEA shortlist?

Very. The 2026 awards received over 5,000 applications from across the UK. Only 740 businesses were shortlisted, making it onto the list a significant achievement in its own right.

Where can I see the full GBEA 2026 shortlist?

The full shortlist is available on the Great British Entrepreneur Awards website.