Our history
From a 1960 joinery and furnishings shop to today — a brief timeline, plus what hasn't changed.
Sixty-plus years in Kirkwall
J & M McEwen opened on Junction Road in 1960 as a joinery and household furnishings supplier. Over the decades the joinery side has narrowed and the furniture retail side has grown, but the address has stayed the same.
Timeline
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1960 | The original shop opens at 76 Junction Road, Kirkwall. |
| 1968 | First contract account: a small Orkney hotel takes 30 bedroom sets. |
| 1975 | Showroom extension built to take a full sofa display. |
| 1989 | First outer-isles delivery to North Ronaldsay (involved two boats and a tractor). |
| 2003 | Bespoke sofa programme launched with a UK manufacturer partner. |
| 2012 | First website. (We were slow to it; we wanted to do it properly.) |
| 2018 | Showroom refit; LED lighting cut energy use by 40%. |
| 2022 | Click & collect launched. |
| 2024 | Modern slavery statement first published voluntarily. |
| 2026 | New website. Wider catalogue. Same showroom, same address. |
What hasn't changed
- The address: 76 Junction Rd, Kirkwall.
- The principle of honest descriptions and proper after-sales.
- The willingness to take a phone call from a customer who bought a bed twenty years ago.
What has
- Our average order size, our range, the proportion of bespoke vs stock, the share of online vs walk-in.
- The expectations of our customers — rightly higher every year.
- Our supplier mix — we keep tilting toward UK and EU manufacturers who can prove their sourcing.
The plan
Stay independent. Stay in Kirkwall. Stay useful to the people who live here and to the visitors who buy something for their second home or for the holiday let they let in summer.
Talk to a person
Phone +44 1856 872281
Email enquiries@jandmmcewen.co.uk
Showroom
76 Junction Rd
Kirkwall, Orkney Islands
KW15 1AR, United Kingdom
Opening hours
Mon – Fri 9.00am – 5.00pm
Saturday 9.00am – 4.00pm
Sunday closed