The seeds of a business idea, planted last year by Orkney stone mason Albert Scott, look set to yield a healthy return after his attendance at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show last month.

Mr Scott from South Ronaldsay produces mirror and picture frames from natural stone which he quarries himself in Sandwick on the Orkney mainland. Selling to outlets all over the UK he saw his attendance at the Chelsea Flower Show as the next stage of developing the business.

Albert Scott said: "The Chelsea Flower Show was challenging but very rewarding. We established a significant number of new contacts and there was huge interest from the public. We are now following up these enquiries and have already converted some of them into actual sales.

"Attending exhibitions like Chelsea are expensive for small businesses like ourselves, especially with the difficulties of getting to and from Orkney, but there is no substitute for meeting buyers face to face. It also helped confirm the demand and popularity for our products by the general public."

Mr Scott left North Ronaldsay in 1997 to secure work on the bigger island of South Ronaldsay and just nine months ago, his business idea became a reality.

Although stone mirrors and picture frames have been the mainstay of the business so far, he is now expanding the product range to include shelving, garden furniture and ornamental dishes.

The business has been helped along the way with advice, guidance and funding from Orkney Enterprise and the Clydesdale Bank.

Manager of the Kirkwall branch of the Clydesdale Bank, Alan Shearer said: "Mr Scott has worked very hard to get his business up and running and we are delighted to have helped in its development.

The Orkney Marketing Scheme also helped Mr Scott towards the costs involved in attending the Chelsea Flower Show. The scheme is jointly funded by Orkney Enterprise, Orkney Islands Council and the European Regional Development Fund.

Orkney Enterprise, part of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise Network, also approved grant funding of £3,300 (pounds) to help establish the business and purchase electrical power tools. A weekly business start up grant was also provided to help support the business during the early months of trading.

Development manager with Orkney Enterprise Harvey Stevenson said: "This is a good example of a craft-based business combining the best of Orkney's rich, natural resources with traditional skills, to provide a high quality product that has wide appeal. It also illustrates that a comprehensive range of assistance and advice is available for people thinking about starting in business and how our location is no absolute barrier to successfully trading in larger southern markets."

For further information on the full range of products contact Albert Scott on 01856 831462.