Awesome little store. Decent prices. Fun trinkets and jewelry. Even if you don’t have an interest in Celtic things, go for the owner alone. Her accent is fun, and she has great stories.
Jen K.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 West Linn, OR
It is like walking into Scottish boot camp. And for my son, the junior historian, that made it the highlight of his trip to the coast. Most of the other stores in town are a variation on a theme. Beach t-shirts, flip flops and toys. Candy and silly souvenirs. All the shop owners are pretty laid back and there are lots of looky-loos casually browsing. Celtic Story is a whole different thing. You walk in the door and are introduced to the World According to Linda MacDonald-Lewis. Her world view and passions are for Scotland and Ireland, but even my English father was welcomed. She is direct, engaging and highly entertaining. Not surprising since she is a professional storyteller and poet. She reads her stories at the Portland Highland Games held every July in Gresham. You will notice that the name of the store isn’t the Celtic Shoppe, but Celtic Story. She specializes in both telling the old stories, as well as the background behind everything in the store. If you are interested in the subject matter, as we were, it was like taking a master class in the early history of Scotland and Ireland, over the course of a few visits. She also has many books on the subject for sale. For many visitors, the highlight will be her collection of movie memorabilia for the Braveheart movie, as well as its hero, William Wallace. She has many friends that worked on the movie, both in front of and behind the camera, so she has great photos, as well as some props from the movie. She can also tell you(and so can my son), where the movie made some artistic changes to the story. It is not just about the spoken word. She has a great selection of jewelry and keepsakes from Scotland and Ireland, as well as signs(many she designed personally), wall hangings and some clothing. But, don’t expect this to be a generic tourist shop. It is like an outpost of Scotland and part of the goal is education. You will see travel brochures and maps throughout the store and will get encouragement to make a visit. Before my next trip to Scotland, I will definitely give her a call. I studied in Edinburgh during college, so for me this brought back so many good memories. It is a bit like being transported to a pub in Scotland, without the pleasure of a pint in your hand. She is the real deal and because she is so forthright, that might come across as too much when viewed in comparison to the other stores in town. For many of those people, it is just a job. Spreading the word about the history of Scotland is her passion. She also sells some interesting stuff to pay the rent. Linda left an indelible impression on my son and it was fabulous for him to meet such a vivacious historian. It isn’t all just dry text. History lives and flows through us every day. — — — — — — — — - For retail purchases, Linda only accepts cash or checks.
