Mill boss in tweed campaign call

Harris Tweed has previously been modelled at Cannes in France

A Harris Tweed mill owner has called on public agencies to back a marketing campaign to better promote the cloth.

Derek Reid, who owns a mill at Carloway on Lewis, also wants discussions with First Minister Alex Salmond on the Western Isles industry.

Mr Reid revealed he has invested in new equipment to fill an anticipated gap in tweed production.

This follows a decision by the main producer, Brain Haggas, to reduce the pattern range to five.

Mr Reid agreed with Mr Haggas, who owns MacKenzie's Harris Tweed Mill in Stornoway, that the cloth should go upmarket and command a higher price.

However, he added the pattern range and weight of cloth should not be limited.