Harris Tweed

Clo' Mor, Harris Tweed for English tongues, is the most famous and iconic of products of the Western Isles of Scotland. You can't just throw some woollen product together and call it Harris Tweed. It's got to have been handwoven in the Hebrides, and wool and woven product processed here as well. The Japanese tried to pull a fast one years ago, by building a village, calling it Harris, and making tweed there. Yeah, sure.

Over the past decades, the industry has shrunk, and within Lewis and Harris there are only a few producers. The largest one was recently taken over by a Yorkshire textiles producer, Brian Haggas. Other mills are at Carloway and Shawbost; small independent producers can be found in outlying villages like Eoropie and Luskentyre.

Mr Haggas recently announced that he was reducing the numbers of patterns kept by his company from about 8,000 to 5. He also received an order for 75,000 yards of tweed, which he initially turned down. This decision has been reversed, if only because the German company said it was going to enforce the contract. Other producers in Lewis are now seeing an opportunity to set up in competition.

I hope they succeed in doing so, as a bit of competition never did anyone any harm. Creates diversity, keeps prices down and people on their toes.