The following list is subjective, but it’s a starting point.
Local suppliers
Bee Cabin, North Wing, Castle Business Centre, Aboyne AB34 5JP supplies poly and timber hives, nucs, frames, foundation and accessories. Feeds, tools, bee suits and mre.
Bees: We recommend that you buy local bees – not only to support local beekeepers, but particularly because local bees have been proven to be best adjusted to the local environment – and of those, our native or near-native dark honey bees (Apis mellifera mellifera) are the best.
Stiliyan Georgiev is a local supplier of our native honey bees. They have been DNA-tested and confirmed to have 93.5% AMM DNA.
Mainly bee hives and equipment
E.H.Thorne (Beehives) Ltd – they are one of the larger suppliers of beekeeping equipment and bee hives in the UK and have a branch in Scotland – Thornes of Scotland in Newburgh, Fife.
The Bee Cabin (above), is Thorne’s local agent.
Maisemore Apiaries has a large selection of equipment as well as hives, including their own National polystyrene hives.
C. Wynne Jones (from Wales) supplies Swienty polystyrene National hives and a selection of equipment, buckets and jars.
Abelo – Excellent Polystyrene Langstroth and National hives and a variety of equipment.
Swienty from Denmark are the makers of Swienty hives.
Caddon Hives – a Scottish firm supplying high quality National, Smith, and WBC hives in wood, as well as clothes and equipment.
Hyde Hives – makers of long hives in various sizes, as well as a Layens hive.
Clothing
BB Wear – makers of good quality bee-suits and also stock some beekeeping equipment.
BJ Sheriff – makers of good quality bee-suits and also sellers of beekeeping equipment.
Jars
The Bee Cabin (see above) is the best local source of jars.
Many major beekeeping suppliers also supply jars. Other suppliers of jars used by many beekeepers, particularly when buying in bulk, are:
C Wynne Jones (as above)
Freeman & Harding
Compak
HS French Flint
Bee feeds
British Beefeeds supplies Südzucker’s bee feeds – Apiinvert and Apifonda. (Lyle Laird of British Beefeeds is also a supplier of Paradise polystyrene hives.)
Wyefield Apiaries, are suppliers of inverted syrup, fondant, and pollen patties in bulk.
Microscopy
Brunel Microscopes Ltd – microscopy supplies, with a section for beekeepers.