In his cosy Fair Isle sweaters, with a swing of his kilt and a flick of his whisk, Hebridean Baker Coinneach MacLeod is reflecting on how his star has risen – like a rather fine bread dough – to heights he could never have dreamed of.
“I feel like Tom Jones,” he says in that melodic Hebridean accent that has helped earn him more than 252,000 devoted followers on TikTok, and 114,000 more on Instagram; fans who can’t get enough of his unique blend of cakes, Hebridean life and cheery wave.
“I walk into theatres and there are 400 people screaming at me like it’s The Beatles that have arrived,” he laughs. “I don’t get knickers thrown at me, no. But I do get a lot of cakes.”
A rather unlikely superstar, when the TikTok sensation and best-selling cookery book author recently announced his forthcoming book tour across the Atlantic, the feverish response left him reeling.
Tickets for venues across North America and Canada sold like hot cakes straight from the Aga, flying from website checkouts in huge numbers within hours of going on sale.
I don’t get knickers thrown at me, no. But I do get a lot of cakes
Fans flooded his social media pages to share excitement at having snared a precious a ticket to hear him talk about cakes, Scotland and island life.
Others, despondent, begged for more dates: “Please come to Cincinnati,” pleaded one. “Will you come back to Boston?” appealed another.
“My daughter lives in Phoenix, so I’ll fly in and hope she can take me,” said another. “I’m praying really hard that this will happen.”
There came posts urging him to put down his sieve, pick up his passport and head to Switzerland – a place some may think would have its share of sweet treats - to Cape Breton, Philadelphia, and Kansas City to Toronto.
The book tour to promote his third book of recipes begins in days and spans 31 cities across North America - most, including San Francisco, Vancouver, and Portland are sold out.
While in Scottsdale, Arizona, distinct worlds of popular culture collide as two figures who may well claim to be doing more for Scottish tourism than any glossy advert, Coinneach and Outlander author, Diana Gabaldon, meet to chat about favourite recipes, Scotland and Gaelic culture.
In recent weeks he’s released a Gaelic version of Auld Lang Syne singing with his partner, Peter MacQueen, who presents the BBC Alba gardening series Garradh Phadruig, and was delighted to tune into Radio Two by chance on Hogmanay to hear it blaring out the speaker.
He’s appeared on This Morning to whip up a salmon wellington for St Andrews Day – he’s back on Burns Night - baked for actor Martin Compston and pal Phil MacHugh as they travelled Scotland, and popped around to Kirstie Allsop’s for her Handmade Christmas programme.
Just before Christmas, he appeared on Radio Four with actor Mark Gatiss and presenter Sandi Toksvig, and in a few days’ time he’ll launch another first, a ten part CalMac podcast, taking listeners around some of the Scottish islands served by its ferries.
Each sees Coinneach joined by guests who talk him through familiar and not so familiar spots, from the Isle of Arran to Islay and Jura’s distilleries, Skye’s natural attractions and highlights from his own island, Lewis.
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His rise to fame – mirroring that of sea shanty TikTok singer Nathan Evans – has been breathtaking and no-one is more surprised than the Hebridean Baker himself.
“It’s unbelievable,” says Coinneach. “Pretty much all of the North American dates on the book tour are sold out – San Francisco sold out overnight! It’s absolutely amazing, and humbling.”
It began in the depths of the pandemic when he uploaded a short video showing his recipe for ginger loaf to TikTok.
He followed with picturesque scenes of island life, showing life with his partner Peter, and their delightful West Highland terrier, Seoras, with short bursts of Gaelic lessons, stories, occasional dances, and a lot of baking.
One post showing how to make Empire Biscuits notched up more than 186,000 views, homemade ‘Nutella’ 195,000 and three ingredient Lemonade Scones – flour, double cream and lemonade – racked up 529,500.
Others introduced viewers to Scottish treats: Shetland hufsie, a traditional spiced loaf, clootie dumpling and savoury haggis bonbons.
His profile soared when a writer from American Elle magazine referenced him in a story questioning what she might miss should then President Donald Trump pull the plug on TikTok.
The Hebridean Baker, she said, was akin to a “warm shortbread cookie” that she’d struggle to do without. A social media star was born.
To date, more than 28.5 million people have watched his videos, while his three recipe books, which infuse easy to follow comforting recipes with delightful insights into island life and culture, have become bestsellers.
“The stories, culture, language, food of Scotland and the Hebrides… it all resonates so strongly overseas, people are fascinated and its amazing that they are,” he says.
“I get people who are interested because of Outlander, but there’s also such a passion for Scotland around the world.
"There's a Gaelic word, cianalas. It's like a longing for somewhere even though you might never have been there, you feel a connection with it.
"I spend time with people in North America that they seem to have this connection with the Hebrides, for the language, people and culture.
“I feel very proud that the stories and recipes of the Hebrides have resonated and people seem to love it.”
His TikTok and Instagram posts have not only put Scotland and his Hebridean roots on an international stage: his posts have raised the profile of Fair Isle knitwear, Harris Tweed, whisky, gin and Scottish produce.
While the hope is the CalMac podcasts, Scottish Island Adventures', will inspire Scots to discover west coast treasures that are a bit off the beaten track.
“On my own island of Lewis, it’s obvious to go to the Callanish Stones but it’s also wonderful being close to the Lewis chessmen, trying out seaweed cosmetics with Ishga, eating at Uig Sands Restaurant, and visiting the black houses,” he says.
“One of my favourite islands was South Uist. “We went out on a fishing trip with fishing roads, to catch mackerel off the side of the boat, then to the creels for some lobsters.
“We fried and ate mackerel that 20 minutes earlier was in the sea - that’s special.”
On a crofting experience he walked cows to the machair and met Eriskay ponies and tried Uist Unearthed, which uses virtual reality to bring the past to life.
On the Isle of Arran, he explored Brodick Castle and filled up on Arran Dairies’ fresh ice cream.
“Ten years ago, most visitors would probably visit Mull or Islay,” he says. “In the last few years the Outer Hebrides has become like a ‘bucket list’ place that people say they feel they must go.
“We’re seeing a very different type of tourism, people looking for adventures and different experiences, and it’s fantastic they are trying to go off the beaten track.
“Our season is extending, people accept they’re not coming for a suntan, they’re coming slightly out of season and we are getting more used to having visitors and learning what they need.”
But while the past year has been an astonishing one of highs, there’s been one sad low: one recent Instagram post stood out from his usual cheery updates, confirmation that his treasured Westie, Seoras, had died.
It was a painful end to one of the most thrilling years of his life and perhaps a reminder how quickly things can change.
“I pinch myself, every day something wonderful happens to me,” he says. “I have met amazing people and get to hang out with them and they are as interested in what I'm doing as I am in them.
"I get to go around talking about the islands, talking about Gaelic, singing Gaelic and telling the story of the islands. It's been great."
‘Scottish Island Adventures’ will be available in full on all major podcast platforms from 16th January.
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