Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory today marks its 100th anniversary, celebrating a century of life-changing support for Scotland’s veterans.
Founded in the aftermath of the First World War, when Scotland faced the return of more than 100,000 wounded military personnel, Lady Dorothy Haig established the factory to provide meaningful and dignified work for men disabled as a result of their service.
Many of these veterans had skills and experience, but their injuries meant they faced significant barriers to re-entering the workforce. The factory offered paid work in a structured, supportive environment, combining income with routine, purpose and community.
Its opening on 8 March 1926 — International Women’s Day — which was not yet widely marked in Britain, has now become even more relevant given that the trailblazing Lady Haig was leading a national initiative at a time when few women held prominent public roles in civic life.
From its beginnings at Whitefoord House in Edinburgh with “three workers, a pair of scissors and a piece of paper”, the factory expanded quickly, producing the distinctive four-leafed Scottish poppy assembled by hand, as well as a range of toys and crafted household items. By the 1930s, the factory was a recognised part of Scotland’s civic landscape, becoming both a workplace and a symbol of national remembrance.
Today, a team of more than 30 veterans, all with supported needs, continue to manufacture thousands of handmade wreaths and other remembrance symbols from purpose-built premises on the capital’s Warriston Road. The factory also produces over 2.1 million poppies for the Scottish Poppy Appeal, organised annually by Poppyscotland in October and November.
Funds raised from the Scottish Poppy Appeal support Poppyscotland’s vital work, providing advice and assistance for veterans, those still serving, and their families.
Over the years, the factory has been visited by thousands, from school groups, individuals and organisations to learn about its history and heritage, the development of the Scottish poppy, and the continuing importance of remembrance. It has also welcomed royal patrons, including HRH The Princess Royal, who officially re-opened the factory following a refurbishment in January 2023.
Helen Owen, Chair of Poppyscotland, said: “Lady Haig was practical and compassionate and realised the difficulty many veterans faced in gaining employment because of disability after war.
“A dynamo of a woman, she recognised the need not only to create Scottish poppies for Armistice Day, but to provide meaningful work all year round. The factory turned out goods of exceptional quality, and she and her band of ‘lady collectors’ sold the poppies and goods across the length and breadth of Scotland.
“Today, the work of this remarkable woman lives on, and the Factory proudly continues to play its role in supporting the Armed Forces community in Scotland.”
To learn more about the factory’s history, or to book a tour of Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory, please visit www.poppyscotland.org.uk
Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory – NICOLA PETRIE case study
Having come from an Armed Forces family, it felt natural for Nicola Petrie to move into military life, joining the Royal Navy in 1986 at the age of 20.
Nicola, who suffers from MS and now works as a wreath maker at Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in Edinburgh, began her service as an onshore radio operator at Faslane, tasked with delivering the communication between ships and the naval base, as well as making sure the submariners received their weekly ‘family-grams’.
It was an important role and one Nicola enjoyed for seven years, feeling an overwhelming sense of pride whenever she pulled on her Navy uniform. However, she left her post in 1992 to start a family with her husband John, who she met while serving.
Nicola explained: “I loved my time in the Royal Navy and always looked forward to going to work. The other girls in the department were great and I loved hearing their stories – we had a real bond so I was sad when, after seven years, it was time for me to leave.
“But John and I had made the choice to start a family and that he would remain in the Navy. Back then, if a woman was pregnant she had to leave post. It was disappointing having to give up the job I loved as I really could have made a proper career of it, but it was exciting too knowing that we were going to have children.”
After Nicola left the Royal Navy, she and John went on to have three children – two boys and a girl – and with John away on an eight-month deployment, Nicola juggled home life, looking after their young children and working in a local home improvement firm, later setting up her own company.
Nicola said: “John was in the Navy for 24 years in total but when he left he became a stay-at-home dad and let me put my heart and soul into the business to build a career for myself.
“When I retired from that we both felt that strong pull back to some sort of military life and that’s where Poppyscotland came in. The factory only employs veterans with supported needs, meaning the role was ideally suited to me as a person living with MS. I joined in April of 2025, a year after John, and we absolutely love it.
“We work with like-minded people who have come from all sorts of Armed Forces backgrounds, and everyone has a story or two to tell. It really connects you back to military life, which is all we’ve ever really known.”
When she’s not helping to make the thousands of poppy wreaths produced at the factory every year, Nicola, who lives in Falkirk, enjoys spending time with her two young grandchildren and beloved dog Molly.
Nicola added: “Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory really means something to me. The memorabilia, the tales, the people and visitors who pass by during tours – it’s just a special place and I’m very grateful to be here and be a part of the 100-year anniversary.”