Sona

Hello! I'm Caitlin, the designer behind Sona, and a native of Ardnamurchan, exiled in Skye. I grew up in a Gàidhealach culture and it runs through everything I make.

Sona began in 2012 at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, where I took a notion to make daft wearable designs like 'Tha bacon Gaelic agam' and 'Ciamar a tha ugh?' Around the same time, a student cèilidh poster I'd designed for fun got spotted, which led to a summer placement with Cànan Graphic Studio and then to Glasgow to study Graphic Design.

Skye pulled me back for work, initially in the art department for film and TV, and then I went on to spend 11 years at the Isle of Skye Candle Co., first as graphic designer and then as head of creative. Sona bubbled away on the side, as an online shop and a range of freelance work – album and poster designs for bands including Tide Lines, Trail West and Mànran, corporate work for businesses and organisations, campaign branding for events, and later an artist commission with ATLAS Arts where I created the Dùdan newspaper.

In May 2026 I left Skye Candles to give Sona a go full-time. The Sona Studio Shop opened that September, and it's brilliant to finally have a home where people can come in, see everything in person and say hello.

Sona is still what it was at the start, which is an attempt to celebrate Gaelic in a way that's fun, fresh and sometimes a wee bit cheeky. Whether you're a fluent speaker, a learner or just like the look of the words, you're very welcome here.

The online shop is always open, but orders may not always go out straight away depending on where I am that week. If you need something in a hurry, get in touch and I'll do my best to accommodate that.

Mòran taing,
Caitlin x