Harris Tweed

Harris Tweed is a registered trademark protected by a 1993 Act of Parliament and the Harris Tweed Authority. By this statute Harris Tweed cloth must be: 'Handwoven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides.'

Until the middle of the 1800s wool tweed cloth woven in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland (the islands of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra) was sold locally. From the 1850s it began to be sold more widely and became progressively popular which also led to it being copied. In 1909 the Harris Tweed Association Limited was formed and the Orb and Maltese Cross emblem with 'Harris Tweed' underneath was registered to provide certification of the cloth produced.