Plan for tweed centre progressing

Harris Tweed is used in clothing and for furniture

Backers of a long-running proposal to build a centre showcasing the history and manufacture of Harris Tweed are confident the plan is progressing.

Community group, Harris Development Limited, has secured Heritage Lottery funding and further help is expected from Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Meanwhile, Harris Development spokesman John MacAulay said a person was to be appointed soon to head up the project.

The plan is to build the centre on Harris on the Western Isles.

Film festival

The material has traditionally been used for clothing, such as jackets and skirts, but also in upholstery for furniture.

However, a bikini using the cloth and designed by Lewis-born designer Sandra Murray was displayed on a catwalk at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

Mills on the Western Isles provide wool to self-employed weavers on Harris and Lewis who produce the materials on foot-driven looms in, or near, their homes

The woven cloth is then sent back to mills for finishing.