Harris Tweed and the Isle of Harris
Scotland is only a small country in the United Kingdom of Great Britain. For much of it’s history the nation and it’s people have been incredibly poor but from this impoverished society some of the most influential people came forth to make their mark upon our world. There are few countries in the world that have not been directly influenced by the hands of the Scottish but few consider this when asked to think of Scotland and most of us would rather bring to mind the likes of Tartan and Harris Tweed.
Strangely much of what we consider to be traditionally Scottish, such as Harris Tweed and tartan is something of a Victorian invention created by the likes of Sir Walter Scott. Scott wrote incredible novels which romanticized Scotland and went to great lengths to introduce the British Royal Family to the country they ruled. Queen Victoria fell in love with Scotland and spent much of her life at Balmoral. Throughout her rule new tartan patterns were developed and much of the traditional Scotland we know today grew from this time.
It could be said that Sir Walter Scott and Queen Victoria created the Scottish tourism industry. Although there had been earlier visitors to Scotland they were few and far between as the country was remote and communication links were poor. Throughout the Victorian period interest in Scotland grew and, with the advent of railway systems, Scotland became the playground of the upper classes who indulged in hunting, fishing and golf.
While a small number of visitors ventured as far as the Outer Hebrides the majority wore Harris Tweed. Harris Tweed, produced only on the Isle of Harris (and Lewis) is a hard wearing and durable cloth of somber colors which was ideally suited for use in clothing for the Victorian and Edwardian upper class visitors. In 1844 the Earl of Dunmore had asked the weavers of Harris to create a cloth in a similar style to the Murray Tartan. Much encouraged by Lady Dunmore the cloth was made in various styles and quickly became popular.
Harris Tweed is heavily protected, it can only be produced in the Outer Hebrides and the methods used to make it have changed little over the centuries. The cloth is hand made and was used local wool, colored using dyes made from locally occurring plants. The cloth was incredibly tough and it was a long time before other products from abroad encroached into it’s markets however the industry eventually decreased.
In recent years there has been renewed interest in this unique material. It has, at various times, made appearances on the catwalks of the world’s fashion centers and many still prefer it over other materials. It is still common to see men dressed in a Harris Tweed jacket but use of the material has, most recently, been much more diverse. Not too long ago Nike made a very large order for the material and produced a pair of shoes using it which proved very successful, even though they were often difficult to find.
The Isle of Harris has, for many years now, seen an incredible increase in the number of visitors which continues to grow each year. In fact tourism now accounts for a major part of the Hebrides economy and it vital to the future of these unique islands. However the Harris Tweed industry has, very recently, hit something of a crisis point as the main mill has closed. Though the local Council and other bodies will be working hard to find a solution the future of this important industry is in a state of flux.
People visit the Isle of Harris and the Outer Hebrides for a great many reasons. Some visit to trace their family roots, others to indulge in sports, some to enjoy the Gaelic culture, some to study the flora and fauna, or the many archaeological sites but most of all people visit to take in the spectacular countryside. Getting to the Isle of Harris is something of a journey by car with the last leg of the trip being a short ferry crossing. However you can get there quickly via regular flights arriving on the adjoining Isle of Lewis.
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