A Story of Harris Tweed

On a visit to the wonderfully cool Isle of Harris, just before the temperatures increased to record levels in the south of England, I learned about the cloth Harris Tweed and its connection to the islands of the Outer Hebrides.  Harris Tweed, in the words of Lara Platman from her book Harris Tweed: From land to street,  “is a unique woollen textile that has been handwoven by islanders off the west coast of Scotland for generations.  Worn worldwide, it is cherished both for the clothing made from it and as a fascinating traditional craft.”

My visit to Harris included a visit to a tiny weave shed of an independent weaver, Becca Hutton who welcomed us into her workplace. I understand she is one of only a handful of independent weavers on the Outer Hebrides, the collective name for the islands of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra.  Even more unusual, Becca produces cloth on a single width Hattersley loom.  Most looms on which Harris Tweed is woven today weave to double width.

‍By following the Harris Tweed Authority rules, the cloth Becca produces can be labelled Harris Tweed once it has been inspected, approved and stamped with the Orb and Maltese cross with the words Harris Tweed underneath – the logo of the Harris Tweed Authority. 

An unusual toolkit for a handweaver, but then if you’re using a Hattersley loom it is essential.oom you’re using.

Ian Lawsons beautifully illustrated book ‘From the Land comes the Cloth’ shows the close relationship between the colour and texture of the cloth and the landscape of the Isles.

Harris Tweed is closely regulated by an Act of Parliament which in 1993 established the Harris Tweed Authority, who promote and maintain the authenticity, standard and reputation of the world famous cloth.  On this date, ‘the definition of Harris Tweed cloth became statutory and forever tied the cloth to the Islands’ (Harris Tweed Authority website).  If you would like to know more, check out the Harris Tweed Authority website.

The colours and textures of the cloth are evidence in themselves that the cloth is born from the landscape.  If you are in any doubt, you only need to look at the images in the Harris Tweed Authority website Journal pages.  In the past, lichens and other plants were collected by the crofters to use to dye fleece of their sheep.  If you ever find yourself near Tarbert on Harris, visit the fabulous Harris Tweed Exhibition and Shop at Drinishader where the whole story of Harris Tweed and its revival in the 1840s and again in the 1980s is explained in film and hands on displays. 

Harris Tweed pattern archive book on display at the Harris Tweed Exhibition and Shop

Sphagnum moss is a source of inspiration for tweed cloth as illustrated in Ian Lawsons book mentioned above

The lively colour associated with Harris tweed cloth is achieved by dyeing the fibre in the fleece, that is before the fleece is spun.  The multi-coloured fleece fibres are spun together according to colour recipes, to create textiles which are full of the colour of the landscape of the islands.  It is easy to see the influence of the colours and textures of the landscape in every cloth produced. 

Have a really close up look next time you’re near some Harris tweed, and count the different individual colours you can see. 

For cloth to qualify as Harris Tweed and receive the stamp of the Harris Tweed Authority the fleece must be from Cheviot sheep, more than likely raised on the Scottish mainland, the fleece must be dyed, spun and the cloth woven in the Outer Hebrides.  Regular inspections of weave sheds takes place of all weavers wishing to sell their cloth under the Harris Tweed trademark.  The final cloth must be of the required quality – over or under beaten or too many knots in the threads and the cloth will be rejected. 

In 1934, the Harris Tweed trademark definition was expanded to include millspun yarn as well as handspun. Allowing a huge leap in production.  The peak of production in 1966 reached 7.6 million yards.

Modernisation of production methods in the early 1990s was consolidated when the Harris Tweed Authority took over from the Association as the result of an Act of Parliament in 1993. 

Given that we were on the Isle of Harris with its wool cloth heritage, I was disappointed to come across abandoned fleece on one wet walk we took. Having gone to all the effort of raising and shearing the animals, it seems odd to me that the fibre is simply abandoned.   Is there really no market for this product?

We came across many sheep peeling the fleece off their back because shearing them simply doesn’t make economic sense.

Finally, at the end of our stay on Harris, the long journey home took us straight into the second heatwave of 2026.  When will we learn that we cannot continue to use fossil fuels at the current rate, and that clothes made from fossil fuel derived fibres are almost indestructible. Biodegradable, natural fibres are so much kinder to future generations.