A well-established jewellery business from the Western Isles is set to take its products to the celtic fringe of Europe in a bid to develop new markets.

Hebridean Jewellery was set up in Iochdar in South Uist 30 years ago and has grown steadily ever since. The business now employs five people in the workshop, and a further eight in the shops where the jewellery is sold.

The company manufactures gold and silver jewellery, predominantly of a celtic design, but also makes commissioned pieces to order.

They are now embarking on a three year marketing campaign to boost their overseas sales, concentrating on the celtic areas of Europe, such as the Basque country and Catabria and Asturias in Northern Spain.

The project, worth over £30,000 is being assisted with an investment of just over £14,000 from Western Isles Enterprise (WIE). It will include; the production of high quality brochures for trade customers; the development of a website which will allow some online sales; and attendance at trade fairs.

The increase in trade which the marketing plan will generate should also lead to new employment opportunities.

John Hart, who owns and runs Hebridean Jewellery, said: "It's important for us to try and expand the business beyond our current horizons. The celtic areas we're targeting have lots of small to medium sized shops of the type we've been successfully dealing with elsewhere in Scotland as well and in England and North America.

"We're confident that a concerted effort like this will bring us substantial new business."

Mr Hart has already started his efforts to boost trade with a trip to Brittany, and the provinces of north west Spain. Although the number of new orders was limited by the strength of sterling, which is making exports difficult, he said the trip had given him some useful information about the markets which exist in these areas. This intelligence should be valuable when exchange rates make exporting easier.

WIE chief executive Donnie Macaulay said: "It's very encouraging to see such an established and successful business continuing to push themselves to further growth.

"Although the strength of the pound is a barrier at the moment, this project demonstrates the suitability of the islands as a location for exporters of high value products, and the website will help the firm service existing customers and attract new ones, irrespective of distance."