Highland Wool
About
We are a small group of farmers and crofters that have come together to build our vision of local, sustainable processing of our fleeces.
The Barn
Our first large-scale project will be to build a micro-mill in a 200+ year old barn located at The Hirsel in Ardgay. The barn will be renovated and repurposed for the project. We'll be experimenting with circular, low energy system design and water recycling, and will be adding job opportunities to the area.
Our approach
Our sustainable, circular approach includes every aspect of the process. These are some of the ways we will meet our goal:
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Renewable energy
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Low energy system
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Cleaning and reusing water
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'No waste' approach
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Living wages for employees
History of Scottish Sheep
Sheep first came to Britain with neolithic settlers, 4000 or more years ago. Originally domesticated for meat, they quickly became valued for their milk and wool, with meat becoming a secondary use in Scotland until the 19th century.
Scotland has a wide range of native breeds, the two main lines being the northern short-tailed breeds descended from the primitive sheep brought across the land bridge by neolithic settlers, and the long-tail breed that came north through the UK from Eurasia. More here.
History of Wool in Scotland
There’s a long history of a cottage wool industry in Scotland, with most rural families sourcing the bulk of their textile needs from their own small flocks of sheep. However, when the so-called ‘improvements’ led to the clearing of many families and their native sheep, in favour of large flocks of imported or crossed breeds to supply the industrialized wool industry, home processing in Scotland began to die out - only surviving in small pockets, as in the island production of tweed.
Most of the industry moved to the Central Belt and further south, until the Highlands were left with no local mills servicing small flocks. Today, farmers must send their fleeces many miles away - often into England or Wales - for sale or processing, while recent drops in wool prices mean that shearing and transport costs are now regularly higher than the payments farmers receive for their fleeces. Additionally, this adds ‘carbon miles’ to an otherwise sustainable, carbon storing material.
Recently, small flock keepers across the Highlands have been fighting to bring back the cottage wool industry, and Highland Wool’s goal is to support their efforts, by bringing wool processing home to the Highlands, with an emphasis on provenance, and on the welfare of our land and animals.