Bright future looms for Harris weaver
An island engineer has fulfilled his dream of becoming a Harris Tweed weaver at the site of the original Harris Crofters’ Association (HCA).
Scott Bennett, a retired structural engineer who lives in Scarista, was inspired by the engineering beauty of the Hattersley Mark 1 loom and painstakingly restored one to its former glory at Borvemor.
The next step for Scott was to obtain the right to call the produce of his loom Harris Tweed as the cloth was being woven by a local weaver on the original site of the HCA loom buildings at Borvemor Farm, South Harris.
The legislation protecting Harris Tweed production meant securing the elusive orb would not prove straightforward for Mr Bennett and he was told he would need to weave the tweed himself as well as produce it from his own garage adjacent to the family home. Not one to avoid a challenge, Mr Bennett set about learning to weave and, under the instruction of DR MacDonald of Northton, he received a month’s tuition in all aspects of weaving. He restored another loom in his garage, then wove and submitted test pieces to Carloway Mill in September.
Mr Bennett was delighted to learn recently that his perseverance has paid off and he now has his own weaver’s number from the Harris Tweed Authority.
He said: ‘It’s been a labour of love to restore these masterpieces of mechanical engineering and to learn this traditional craft. I hope to offer demonstrations in the summer and share tales of island perseverance.’
Mr Bennett plans to enjoy weaving Harris Tweed on the restored loom with a view out across the Atlantic from the open loom shed.
Mr Bennett’s wife Margaret added: ‘Borvemor was originally a site with two looms, where there was always plenty of activity and fun 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 more than 60 years ago by local crofter Dolly Macleod.’