Happy National Tweed Day

I am rather tweedy. 

I have a number of tweed jackets and hats and Mrs C is a seamstress who produces luxury goods in Harris Tweed via her website The Tailored Hound.

And, back in 2018, we were invited to the Outer Hebrides to meet the Harris Tweed Authority people on Lewis and some of the weavers on Harris. In fact, we qwent just a few days after getting our pug. Now you know why he's called Harris. 

On this, National Tweed Day, I thought I'd recount the trip. 

Because we had three dogs at the time we couldn't fly. So we drove the 660 miles from Hazlemere in Buckinghamshire to Cluer, Isle of Harris. We didn't do it all in one day though. First day we drove to Ardrossan, near Gladgow on the west coast and stayed overnight. On Day Two we did the rest of Scotland and stayed on the Isle of Skye. But we took our, stopping to enjoy the scenery and visit the gigantic Kelpies, the Falkirk Wheel, Loch Lubnaig and that castle at the end of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

On Day Three we took the ferry from Tarbert to Harris ad began to explore the island.

Over the next day or so we visited such places as the Callanish stones and the Blackhouses on Lewis, saw some seals and golden eagles (and lots of cows and sheep).

We also visited many beautiful beaches and villages including the Island of Scalpay and its curious concrete ship.

And, of course, fulfilled the main reason for our visit - meeting the people who make Harris Tweed. It's still woven on manually (or foot pedal) operated looms - no electricity involved - and the dyes come from natural products. Harris Tweed is the only fabric that has its own act or parliament and laws to govern production and sale and every weave has to be approved by the Harris Tweed Authority. I love the stuff.

It was a wonderful week full of beautiful scenery but it was then time to head home and we broke up the journey by again staying on Skye and then a second night in the Lake District.

A wonderful trip.

Happy National Tweed Day!