Quaichshop Frequently Asked Questions
Product FAQs
What is a quaich?
The quaich, Scotland’s cup of friendship, has been used through the centuries to offer a welcoming drink at clan gatherings, and other family occasions, and to friends and visitors.
You can find out more about our traditional Scottish loving cup on our “What’s a quaich?” page.
What do the measurements shown on the quaich product pages mean?
The measurements shown for the quaichs illustrated are the diameter of the bowl, not including the handles.
Are your Sterling Silver quaichs hallmarked in Edinburgh?
All of our Sterling Silver quaichs are hallmarked in Edinburgh. They bear the hallmark of the Assay Office in Edinburgh as well as the Quaichshop sponsor’s mark.
What are quaichs made from?
Quaichs are made using a variety of materials, the main ones being pewter, silver plate and sterling silver. We also offer wooden, horn and glass models. You can choose any of these types of quaichs for any occasion.
How do I decide which size of quaich to buy?
There are no rules when it comes to choosing the size of quaich.
If the quaich is going to be used as part of a wedding ceremony, the 3.5” (8.9cm) – 4.5” (11.4cm) sizes are the most popular.
Our toasting quaichs are shallow. They are designed to hold a small amount of whisky to be supped after making a toast.
Quaichs given as christening gifts tend to be in the size range 2.5” (6.4cm) – 4” (10.2cm). If you wish to present a quaich as a trophy these are normally in the range 3.5” (8.9cm) – 6.5” (16.5cm).
If you would like any further advice, please get in touch.
Assay Assured FAQs
What does Assay Assured mean?
All retailers that display the Assay Assured Trustmark, are part of a scheme that guarantees their customers that all of the precious metal (not exempt by weight) sold by them in an item, carries the legally required independent hallmark.
This hallmark verifies the precious metal content. Our website has been audited by the Assay Office to ensure that all of our products are accurately described and that their precious metal content is stated.
Our sterling silver quaichs carry the Quaichshop Sponsor’s Mark which is displayed alongside the hallmark for Edinburgh.
Delivery & Shipping FAQs
What are your shipping costs?
We charge flat rates for shipping to all parts of the world, irrespective of weight.
For the UK, our rates are as follows
The charge is £4.00 for our Standard service within the UK, which is usually via Royal Mail and can take a few days to arrive. If you would like Priority Shipping, the charge is £7.50 for a delivery on the next working day.
Please note that if you need a quaich shipped quickly you can select any of the quaichs in our “In a Hurry” section and these will be shipped within 24hrs of ordering (Mon – Thurs).
If you need your quaich by a specific date, please select Priority Shipping at checkout.
For overseas, our rates are as follows
We charge £27.00 for shipping to Europe and £25.00 for anywhere else in the world.
Please note that we don’t charge VAT on orders dispatched to the EU. The VAT will be collected by the courier before they deliver the order. The VAT is charged at the local rate in the country the order is being sent to and this is additional to any payment made to Quaichshop.
When will my purchase be dispatched?
The turnaround time on our products depends on which item you are purchasing.
Dispatch time generally varies between same day dispatch to up to 6 working days to be dispatched.
If you are in need of a quaich in a hurry then please see the answer to What if I need a quaich to arrive quickly?
We try to dispatch all purchases as soon as possible. The quaichs which are not in our “In a Hurry”’ section can take up to 6 working days to be dispatched.
What if I need a quaich to arrive quickly?
Please go to our “In a Hurry” section. Any of the quaichs shown here can be sent out within 24hrs of ordering (Mon – Thurs).
- Order on a Friday and your quaich will be dispatched on the following Monday.
- If you order in the morning – up to 12 noon – we can dispatch quaichs from this section on the same day.
- Requesting engraving won’t slow down the dispatch of your quaich.
- It’s possible to select delivery on the next working day for any quaich being dispatched to a UK address.
- Please note that quaichs that are not in our “In a Hurry” section will take longer to dispatch.
What is your returns policy?
If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase you can return this to us within 30 days.
Unfortunately, it’s not possible to return purchases that have been personalised unless of course, you aren’t happy with the quality of the item.
We all make mistakes and occasionally customers supply us with incorrect text for engraving (let’s hope it’s not your wedding anniversary date!)
If you’ve made an error we will endeavour to help you sort the problem out – please get in touch if this happens.
Engraving FAQs
How can I see what the various engraving fonts look like?
Most of our quaichs and gifts can be engraved and it is possible to preview what your chosen text will look like in the available fonts.
- Click on ‘Engraved Message’ and a box will appear.
- Input your text into this box and select ‘Preview Fonts’
I can’t decide on the message that I would like to engrave.
If you would like any advice on what to engrave, please message us or give us a call.
We would advise you to try to keep the engraving text as concise as possible.
As a suggestion, to celebrate a wedding we would advise engraving the names of the couple, the date and the location of the wedding (the name of the city, village, castle etc).
Where do you normally place the engraving on a quaich?
We usually engrave the quaich inside the bowl (on the base as you look down into the quaich).
It’s also possible to place the engraving on the outside of the bowl. If you would prefer that, you can specify this on your order.
When there is a design inside the bowl of a quaich we will place the engraving on the outside of the quaich. Some designs of quaich cannot be engraved, either on the inside or the outside of the bowl e.g., Toasting quaichs and the Horn quaichs.
Can you engrave my company logo or club crest?
It is possible to upload your image directly onto your order.
Sharp, black and white images are the easiest to work with.
You can supply these in a variety of formats, send us what you have.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to engrave a photograph.
If you are in doubt about whether your image is suitable, please email us a copy – admin@quaichshop.com and we will discuss the options with our engraver.
General FAQs
Is Quaichshop based in Scotland?
We are based in Edinburgh and have been selling quaichs and other gifts for more than 30 years. We originally stocked quaichs in our two branches of Angles and we now operate as an online shop, sending quaichs and gifts to all corners of the globe.
How is a quaich used during a Scottish wedding ceremony?
The bride and groom could each hold the quaich handles for the other to drink from its contents. This symbolises togetherness and trust.
The contents are left to individual tastes, though a fine single malt whisky would be the traditional choice.
You can find more information about Scottish weddings on our “What is the quaich wedding ceremony?” page.
Do you offer bulk discounts?
We can offer quantity discounts. If you would like a quote, please get in touch with us to discuss this.
How to pronounce quaich
Our customers often ask us how the word Quaich should be pronounced. Listen to how it should be pronounced here:
