October 21, 2018
For me, the sentiment of coorie makes me think of the comfort of family and home. I remember my mother and my grandmother inviting me to 'coorie in' and cuddle with them - it's the ultimate safe embrace," Holly Fulton tells us when we ask what coorie, the new (but actually very old) lifestyle trend, means to her. The Scottish version of hygge, as it's now being called, coorie is on the brink of becoming the cosiest craze of the colder months.
I cannot think of much that could top the security and mutual love that that act encapsulates for me," the Edinburgh-born designer continues. "Scotland is very much my home and the pace and sensibility of the people reflects a more relaxed approach to life. When I return, there will inevitably be very late nights in very small dark bars, hours spent chatting and a conviviality that I find uniquely Scottish. Not much tops a peat fire and the smell and atmosphere it creates. Sitting with my parents in the Highlands, in a wee cottage at the end of road in the Cairngorms with the weather raging outside, talking endlessly and slowly drinking a great deal of Caol Ila. That's coorie."
I cannot think of much that could top the security and mutual love that that act encapsulates for me," the Edinburgh-born designer continues. "Scotland is very much my home and the pace and sensibility of the people reflects a more relaxed approach to life. When I return, there will inevitably be very late nights in very small dark bars, hours spent chatting and a conviviality that I find uniquely Scottish. Not much tops a peat fire and the smell and atmosphere it creates. Sitting with my parents in the Highlands, in a wee cottage at the end of road in the Cairngorms with the weather raging outside, talking endlessly and slowly drinking a great deal of Caol Ila. That's coorie."
From fires to family, these comforting components are crucial. "There’s nothing better than coming home after a long shoot and having a coorie with my family on the sofa next to the fire in new pyjamas," model Eilidh Alexander concurs.
The word has evolved from its cuddle definition to comprising important elements of traditional Scottish living. Gabriella Bennett, who penned The Art of Coorie: How To Live Happy The Scottish Way, defines it as "a feeling of cool, contemporary Caledonia".
Food - the heartier and more local, the better - is a feature, Sam McKnight tells us. "Yes, [coorie] is about cosiness on a cold wet night, but too many of those means too much stodgy food and resulting in a bear-sized belly by March, so coorie only in moderation for me!" he laughs. "I’m off to my mum’s in New Cumnock, Ayrshire at the weekend, where it will be cold and damp, I will be inside eating delicious stodge from the local bakers, and I know it will take a week to burn it off!"But embracing the outdoors, from wild swimming in lochs to walks in Scotland's majestic landscapes, is also important. "Nothing captures the feeling better than taking in the breathtaking Scottish scenery after a long hike up one of the numerous mountains that we are blessed with," says model Natasha Luwedde.
Of course, coorie as a trendy lifestyle concept is likely a rather Insta-era interpretation of a traditional way of life but, as the weather takes a turn for the cold, it is undeniably appealing.
