As members of the Lake Ainslie Weavers and Craft Guild, Eileen MacNeil and Verna MacMillan spent 16 days in Scotland in the spring of 2000, along with 11 other Weavers from the South Haven Spinners, Weavers and Dyers. Our purpose was threefold. First we went to learn and bring back all the information we could about the Scottish Textile Industry; secondly to promote the Twinning of Inverness County, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia with Inverness, Scotland and the Highland Region; and thirdly for personal pleasure.

The tour group in ScotlandMembers of the tour included: Shirley Hefferon, Baddeck; Jeanie Campbell, South Haven; Mary MacLeod, South Haven; Marie MacDonald, Washabuck; Sharon Bartlet, Baddeck; Eleanor Thompson, Indian Brook; Kay Smith, Goose Cove; Helen MacLeod, South Haven; Agnes MacLeod, Baddeck; Angie Aucoin, Middle River; Pat Watson, Antigonish; Eileen MacNeil, Inverness; and Verna MacMillan, East Lake Ainslie. We set out from the Glasgow airport on a small bus with our driver, George Murray.

Scottish Textile Industry:
The whole process was most interesting, from the raw wool to the finished fabric. Woolen Mills were toured in New Lanark, Edinburgh, Galashiels, Inverness and on Harris and Skye. At the Skye Woolen Mill, Portree, we were surprised to meet Elaine Beaton of Mabou working there for the summer.

Tartans are the largest part of the mill production and there is some custom work done for well known designers. The group got to see some of these interesting materials which will probably appear in "Vogue" by the Fall. The Textile Industry seems to be flourishing, although we were told that it employs a very small percentage of the work force.

Near Calanish, Isle of Lewis.
Eileen MacNeil, May, 2000The best wool for spinning is imported from New Zealand and Australia. These longer fibers are mixed with the shorter local wool to produce the desired yarns. There were huge carders, dye pots, spinning machines and pliers (where more than one strand is twisted to make a stronger thread). Then we moved on to the warping mills, where the patterns were warped on large metal beams, ready to be placed on the looms and threaded. The weaving was loud and fascinating to watch. The larger mills have fully mechanized looms which weave 60 meters a day, while smaller enterprises weave much narrower and much slower. This hand weaving is done on a power loom, with flying shuttles. The looms are powered in different ways, some with electricity, some push treadles and some appear to be stationary bicycles. The weaver in the large mills watches for problems but does no actual weaving. The smaller mills and cottage Harris Tweed weavers have smaller looms which require more attention by the weaver but the shuttle is thrown by the machine and the beating of the fabric is also mechanized. The weaver keeps the bobbins filled and watches for problems as he alternates pressing two treadles on the loom. This too is changing because the manufacturers who use the Harris Tweed are reluctant to accept the narrow fabric, so the small scale producer, if he wishes to continue, will eventually have to invest in the expensive 100 inch looms. We saw one of these in a home on Harris. His smaller heavy steel loom was in pieces in the corner of the room. I believe he would have given it to me. The operator simply peddled a bicycle like mechanism and the loom was completely automatic. The weft was fed directly from large bobbins without shuttles.

It was very interesting to talk with other weavers like ourselves who weave to supplement their income as well as fulfilling their need to create. Scotland's Weaving Guilds are well organized. They still do the actual "Hand Weaving" as we call it. We noticed a great deal of emphasis on dying and spinning and creating unique hand woven rugs, wall hangings and tapestries. We met with members from Weavers Guilds in Elgin, Inverness, Ullapool, and Calanish on Isle of Lewis. We met a very young weaver, Duncan with his mother Ane Graham at Calanish. These meetings were facilitated, for the most part, by Evelyn Duncan, Lynn Smith and Sheila Bates and we were presented with gifts for our Guild. We had a few gifts for them too and of course we invited them to visit us.

Eileen MacNeil, Marie MacDonald, Isobel McCallum-Scott, Sheila Bates, Jeanie Campbell, and Angie Aucoin looking at pieces of "overshot" weaving at the Old Royal Hotel in Inverness, Scotland.

We were surprised that there was very little "overshot" weaving in Scotland. This weave was once popular in Scotland, as many Scots who emigrated to Canada, brought their patterns with them.

We were fortunate to view "The Continuum", a very extensive textile exhibit of weaving, knitting, crocheting, felting, dyeing, and spinning at the Kelvingove Art Gallery in Glasgow. Items were exhibited there from all over Scotland.

Twinning:
The group was royally entertained by the Highland Council at a reception in our honour at the Aros Centre in Portree, and later at a house party at the home of Angus and Emily MacDonald on Skye. Speaking with the Councillor Allan Beaton, Rob Muir, Chief Executive of the Local Enterprise Commission, John MacDonald, Area Manager of the Highland Council, Councillor Andrew Miller, Mary Carmichael, Museums Officer, Reverend John and Effie Ferguson, Dr. Angus and Emily MacDonald, and Nanette Muir, Textile Conservator, we soon became aware of their keen interest in maintaining contacts with Inverness County Council to explore the possibilities of opening up new markets for locally manufactured goods. The pound is very high right now against the Canadian dollar and although that made the trip quite costly, it could be very good for sale of Canadian products.

Weavers Ane and Duncan Graham met Verna and Eileen at Calanish on Isle of Lewis, Scotland, and talked about the history of weaving in the area. Duncan is learning to weave to carry on the tradition. Ane said that until recently, all boys on Harris were taught to weave in school.

There was some discussion about the possibility of having a weaving teacher from Cape Breton go to Scotland to reintroduce some of the more complex weaves, like the overshot.

Councillor Allan Beaton presented us with a book entitled "Skye" as well as a "Quaich" engraved by the Highland Council. This is a Pewter cup which is a symbol of friendship. In turn, we presented him with a scarf of Lake Ainslie Heritage Tartan and a "Sketches of Our Town" video of Inverness County.

Carrying many copies of "Sunset Side", the "Participaper", brochures, as well as Inverness County Pins, we spread the word about our beautiful Inverness County wherever we went, leaving them at all hotels and with all the weavers we got to meet, with George Gordon MacMillan, Chief of Clan MacMillan as we shared lunch with him at Finlaystone Estate, even the waitress in Glasgow who chatted with us. "Oh that's very nice, you're from Canada, in the colonies, I've never been there but one day I might".

Personal Pleasure:
No words can fully describe the personal pleasure. The friendly people, the green hills, stone walls and bridges, the Scottish brogue and the textile industry are permanent memories of a wonderful trip!