New flexible working and podcasting space comes to Perthshire

Couple develop facility to meet growing twin demands

A new Perthshire business has been set up to meet growing demand for flexible work spaces and the burgeoning consumer appetite for podcasts.

Bethany Wallace was moved to open Stravaig Space at The Smokehouse in Auchterarder after watching hybrid workers struggling to sustain online work meetings in the corners of noisy cafes.

With experience of remote working, herself, she knew only too well the challenges of hosting professional meetings whilst working on the road or trying to build businesses from kitchen tables.

In response to this, and being alive to how working practices have changed since the pandemic, she has opened Stravaig Space to cater for freelancers, remote workers and SMEs, providing a peaceful and professional work environment in south Perthshire.

Flexible working

New ways of working

The rural facility, set against a scenic backdrop, includes flexible hot desks, a bookable meeting room for up to 10 people, a break-out lounge, shared kitchen facilities and on-site parking.

In addition, and in collaboration with her business partner, JJ, the overall footprint contains a professional podcast studio, Stravaig Sessions, which is tipped to attract content creators across Perthshire and beyond.

The number of people in the UK consuming podcasts has grown 10% since 2021, with millions of listeners and viewers across the country.

Stravaig Sessions will help businesses, charities and artists produce high quality video and audio, with technical support on-site.

Podcast

Connecting with fellow professionals

The idea for creating a podcasting studio has been with JJ for over a year and Bethany is delighted the two projects have come together in the same space.

“Lockdown definitely changed the way people work. Hybrid and remote working have become much more common, but many people still need somewhere professional to meet clients or focus properly for a few hours,” she says.

“Having worked from home myself, I understood how difficult it can be to find the right environment. Stravaig Space was created to give people somewhere local where they can step away from distractions and work clearly and professionally.

At the same time, lockdown also made many people feel more isolated. While the space allows for quiet individual work, there’s also the opportunity to connect with others doing the same. Over time, the hope is that it becomes a small hub for people building businesses locally.” Adding Stravaig Sessions, she says, also made sense.

“Stravaig Sessions developed naturally alongside Stravaig Space. JJ had been considering creating a podcast studio for around 18 months through his photography and videography work. When the opportunity came up to establish Stravaig Space, it felt like the right setting to bring that idea to life as well.

“With podcasting growing rapidly, we felt there was a real opportunity to offer a professional studio locally where people can record high-quality conversations without travelling too far.”

Stravaig Space enjoys a scenic rural backdrop