The long archipelago on the far northwest tip of Europe is home to every weaver, dyer, blender, carder, spinner, warper, finisher and inspector of Harris Tweed cloth. No part of the process takes place elsewhere.
As such, the land and people are woven into the very fabric of the cloth, reflecting as it does the colours of the landscapes, the beauty of our vistas and the values of our people.
To the north of the remote string of islands lies the Isle of Lewis – a rugged and bleakly beautiful land of heather and moor, loch and stream – home to the main harbour town of Stornoway and the three Harris Tweed mills.
More mountainous than its northern brother, the Isle of Harris has some of the world’s finest beaches of golden fine shell sand, shallow azure blue seas and a myriad of hidden crofts and villages.
South of this main body a string of smaller islands tails off to the south, including the machair meadows and loch-laden isles of the Uists and beautiful Barra at the furthest tip.
For generations these islands have produced a special cloth…Harris Tweed.
From the remote islands of the Outer Hebrides, Harris Tweed cloth is exported to over 50 countries. From traditional markets in Europe, North America and the Far East to the emerging BRIC nations of Brazil, Russia, India and China, the cloth finds its way to every corner of the planet.
Traditional men’s jackets, cutting-edge catwalk couture, stylish street shoes, five star interiors, bespoke suits: the use of Harris Tweed cloth is endless. It is shipped to fashion houses, independent designers, multi-national companies, small clothing labels and famous tailors, to provide a foil for their creative endeavours, all over the world.
All this comes from the crofts and mills of our tiny Scottish islands on the edge of the Atlantic.