The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
‘Labour of loves’ lands right to use Harris label
People: Islander new Tweed weaver
A retired engineer has earned the right to weave his own Harris Tweed after undertaking a “labour of love” to restore two vintage looms to their former glory.
Scott Bennett had to win the approval of the fabric’s governing body before he was allowed to use its iconic Orb trademark on the cloth he produces using a “masterpiece of mechanical engineering” in his garage at Scarista, on the Outer Hebridean island.
Inspired by its technical beauty, Mr Bennett first painstakingly restored a Hattersley Mark 1 loom at Borvemor, near his home.
The next step was to achieve the right to call the produce of the hand-driven machine Harris Tweed, as the cloth was being woven by a local weaver on the original site of the Harris Crofters Association Loom Buildings.
But he found that under legislation protecting the fabric’s production, he would have to not only weave the tweed himself,
“It’s been a labour of love to restore these masterpieces of engineering”
but also produce it from his garage beside his house.
Under the expert instruction of weaver DR MacDonald, of Northton, Mr Bennett undertook a month-long crash-course in all aspects of the craft.
On another restored loom in his garage, he then wove and submitted the required test pieces for inspection at Carloway Mills last month.
He was delighted to learn that his perseverance had paid off and he had been awarded his own unique weaver’s number by the Harris Tweed Authority.
Mr Bennett said: “It’s been a labour of love to restore these masterpieces of mechanical engineering and to learn this traditional Harris craft.
“I hope to offer demonstrations in the summer months for any interested visitors, and share tales of island perseverance.”
Mr Bennett’s wife Margaret said: “Borvemor was originally a site with two looms, where there was always plenty of activity and lots of fun, too, with weaving and warping on the go daily.
“I remember the cloth was delivered by lorry to the mills for processing by George MacDiarmid.
“The last time Harris Tweed was produced there was over 60 years ago by local crofter Dolly Macleod.”
The Harris Tweed Orb is the oldest British certification mark in continuous use. Only cloth hand-woven by the islanders of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra in their own homes, using pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides, can be stamped with the mark.
The Harris Tweed Authority was created by an Act of Parliament in 1993 to replace the Harris Tweed Association, which had been set up in 1909. It promotes the brand and maintains its authenticity, standard and reputation.