Harris Tweed — unique to Scotland

One souvenir you will surely see in Scotland is Harris tweed.

Whether plain twill, traditional Herringbone or plaid, this distinctive patterned fabric is used to make everything from smart men’s suit jackets and vests to fashionable outerwear and trendy clothes designed with flair! Stores all over Scotland, and even on ferry boats, sell Harris tweed scarves, hats, clutch purses, wallets, gloves, ipad sleeves and briefcases like these…

              

Seeing Harris Tweed products everywhere makes you wonder why. Especially when you learn that royalty, rich landowners and famous designers such as Chanel, Ralph Lauren, and Vivienne Westwood have used this fabric to create hunting coats, wedding waistcoats, fashionable couture and even limited edition Nike shoes.

 

What’s so special that sets it apart from regular tweed?

For starters, it must be wholly made in the Outer Hebrides— an archipelago of windswept islands spreading 124 miles across the Atlantic Ocean off the far-reaching northwestern coast of Scotland. Yes, that means from shearing the sheep to weaving, and every stage in between.

The authenticity of this fabric is even protected by Parliament!

In 1993, Parliament created the Harris Tweed Authority to ensure the quality of the fabric and protect the brand from being diluted by others producing inferior tweed. To earn the Orb seal of approval, Harris Tweed has to meet stiff criteria for each step of the production process.

Production process:
It begins with farmers shearing pure virgin wool from their Cheviot or Scottish Black-faced sheep.

Next, artisans dye the wool, blend it, then spin it. Dyeing the wool before teasing and spinning creates intricate shades and hues that result in unusual vibrancy and complexity of colors. Spun wool is wound onto bobbins according to colors desired for a particular pattern, separated by weft (left to right threads) and warp (vertical threads).

Next, warpers gather thousands of threads into a specific order based on a desired pattern, and wind them onto beams. These beams of spun wool are then delivered to the weavers at their homes along with the pattern order.

Weavers set up the loom according to the pattern card which detail the weft and warp threads needed to create the desired Harris Tweed. Ad after hand tying the yarns to the loom, they get to pedaling! Looms are human-powered, by foot.

Finished fabric is then brought to one of the 3 mills on the Isle of Lewis. Darners fix any flaws before beating the fabric with soapy soda water to remove any impurities. After it is steamed and ironed to perfection, the inspectors then examine the quality of the fabric before stamping the Orb of approval that marks it as Harris Tweed. Fabric is then exported to fashion houses, interior designers or tailors in over 50 different countries where it is crafted into everything from computer cases to luxurious couture clothing to elegant chair cushions.

To watch an excellent video The Big Cloth showing various people at work to create this intricate fabric, click the link or go to the Harris Tweed Authority website.

Other ways it’s unique:

Colors in Harris Tweed reflect the colors of the islands– from subdued hues of heather and moors to vivid turquoise blues in the sea or burnt orange sunsets. Little flecks of color give the fabric complexity.

How it feels. Not a fan of stiff, itchy wool? No worries. Harris Tweed is surprisingly soft and supple. Not scratchy.

Withstands wicked weather. The tightly woven fabric is water and weather resistant, making it a perfect choice for keeping warm and dry in this windy, wet country.

 

Where to see Harris Tweed weavers & artisans

Gotta leave Scotland’s mainland! Because Harris Tweed weavers and artisans live on the isolated islands that make up the Outer Hebrides. Most live on the largest island, the Isle of Lewis, which is attached to the southern, smaller Isle of Harris at Tarbert. Other weavers live further south on tinier islands that require ferry transportation.

Travel to the Isle of Lewis & Harris: To get here, you can fly from Glasgow to Stornoway (Lewis), then rent a car. No Ubers or taxis or buses are available outside the main towns. (We only saw direct buses travel between Stornoway and Callanish Standing Stones in June.) Or drive here riding the Calmac ferry to and from Tarbert (Harris) from Uig on the northern end of the Isle of Skye–just make sure you reserve your spot far in advance!

Islanders have been weaving tweed in their homes on looms passed down generations since the 18th century. They wove wool into cloth for domestic use, and used surplus fabric for bartering or paying rent. But when the fashion world discovered Harris Tweed in the 20th century, the desire for this patterned fabric ignited, drove up the price, and became known internationally. The rest is history.

Today there are about 200 Harris Tweed weavers. They still work from home on looms inside their sheds. Many live on crofts (long narrow strips of fenced land) scattered across rural landscapes dotted with sheep, machair and lochs (lakes). Others live in town and weave inside tin sheds planted in their garden space. You can identify a looming shed by the sound of mechanical chattering. But please respect their space and don’t go gallivanting around unless invited in.

Easiest way to arrange an invite? Express an interest to the innkeeper where you’re staying. Chances are good that they’ll call a neighboring weaver who will welcome your visit.

On the Isle of Lewis

Stornoway: The Harris Tweed Authority, at 2 Cromwell Street, has a Story Room to learn all about the process that goes into making Harris Tweed. Open Monday to Friday 10am to 3pm, they have live weaving demonstrations twice weekly. Admission is £3 with demonstration.

Leverburgh: Stop at the old post office, a red building just off the main road. It now houses Borrisdale Tweed, where you’ll find artisans Rob and Carol Graham who create elegant home furnishings out of Harris Tweed. Pillows arranged in rows on shelves color the wall from soft oatmeal to seawater turquoise. Chances are good that you’ll find Carol sewing on her Singer machine near the doorway like we did.

Drinishader: Clò-Mòr has a dedicated exhibition about Harris Tweed through the ages. Mannequins display designs worn on catwalks decades ago to present day designs. The weaver who works next door will demonstrate her loom to tour groups if notified in advance.

Meet Kenny

Kenny, one of the Harris Tweed weavers, holds up his favorite jacket. Note the Orb symbol certifying it as Harris Tweed.

When we visited Lewis Island last summer, our family rented a farmhouse between Carloway and the Callanish Standing Stones on the west side of the island for a week. The owner of our farmhouse, Kenny, is a Harris Tweed weaver. Kenny’s looming shed was steps away from Granny’s house where we were staying adjacent to his home on the croft. He invited us in to watch him weave and told us all about the process–from choosing the design, to using foot pedals and checking the loops by hand.

Kenny has 2 looms–an older Hattersley loom that once belonged to his mother-in-law, and another, a more modern loom where Kenny produces most of his work.  He demonstrated both, sitting and pedaling to power the looms, making them chatter clackety-clack as threads formed line by line into fabric.

Weaving requires years to master. Skills are passed down to younger generations and looms stay in the family.

Nimble fingers and sharp eyes are necessary to catch errors.

Patterns specify how the weaver sets up the loom and decides how wide the heddles should be set and how often the overcheck shuttle goes through the weft.  There are 4 popular patterns that are easily recognized–herringbone, houndstooth, plain twill and plaid. But hundreds of variations exist.

In contrast to the more modern loom that produces a double width, the Hattersley is a single width loom. Kenny uses both depending on the fabric requirements per order.

It was fascinating to learn about the process and watch a weaver in action.

How can you not admire the collaborative efforts of the community on this tiny island to create a globally recognized sought-after fabric?

And how can you resist shopping for your own piece of Harris Tweed to bring home?

 

Where to buy Harris Tweed Souvenirs

HARRIS ISLAND: Tarbert, on the road near the port where you catch the ferry to the Isle of Skye, is Tarbert Tweed Shop in a white block building. It specializes in high-end clothing with an emphasis on men’s suits and vests. These suits and vests  are trim and fitted, and vary in length– best purchased after trying on. In the female section, there were purses, coats, scarves and an adorable cape that flared out when you twirled around that my college-aged daughter and I both loved.  Across the street was small shop that sold fabric by the yard for those who want to sew something once home.

LEWIS ISLAND: Across the island in Stornoway, another port and location of the only airport on the Outer Hebrides where you can catch a plane to Glasgow or Aberdeen, there are more affordable clothing shops than Tarbert, that cater to tourists with a greater variety in brighter colors and designs.

ISLE OF SKYE: a handful of stores are devoted to Harris Tweed clothing and upscale purses in the main town of Portree. Red purses and gray clothing seem to dominate the color choices. Products here were more expensive than on the mainland.

FALKLAND, FIFE: A shop in this charming medieval village had the best selection of Harris Tweed items that I saw–apart from clothing which had the most variety in Stornoway. Laptop sleeves, purses, notebook protectors, iphone cases, briefcases, scarves and hats were also the most affordable products I spotted in Scotland. Located in a corner shop with Outlander postcards in the window, a short jaunt up a cobblestone street from the famous fountain where Jamie’s ghost appears in the Outlander tv series.

ST. ANDREWS, FIFE: Inside the tourist shop at the medieval Castle ruin you can find some great Harris Tweed souvenirs. Oh, how I wish that I would’ve purchased the red wallet that fit so perfectly in my hand. The plaid design was tasteful, the color subdued and classy, and the price affordable (around $20 US). Apparently others thought so too. The line was very long so we left, intending to come back later.

EDINBURGH: As you can imagine there are lots and lots of tourists shops along the cobblestone streets in Old Town. Many feature the same products, so don’t feel compelled to visit every store.

Whether you buy a tiny RFID keyfob pouch or an iphone case, an expensive tailored suit or sporty baseball cap or even a backpack, don’t forget to bring home your favorite piece of Harris Tweed–because it’s a souvenir that you will actually use! It’s timeless, stylish and unique.

 

Can’t visit Scotland but would love to own your own piece of Harris Tweed? Products are available online. Click links/images in this post to see items available on Amazon. Just remember to check for authenticity– by looking for pieces that proudly display the Harris Tweed Orb symbol label.

                 

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