Depopulation, tough economic conditions and subsequent lack of employment for young people is the vicious cycle that stalks many small island and rural communities. But the fascinating tale of Harris Tweed shows how creativity, community control and a willingness to embrace change can preserve old industry in new ways for the benefit of all.

No-one owns Harris Tweed. It's famously the only cloth with a provenance protected by an Act of Parliament. It has the oldest continuously used trademark in the UK and its very own Harris Tweed Authority, whose job is to protect the tweed and make sure that only cloth woven on Harris is stamped with the coveted orb. Yet the Authority's board is made up of volunteers, and the whole industry has been held in trust for the benefit of the people of Harris since 1909.

This unique set-up doesn't mean Harris Tweed has weathered every storm. In 2009, only 450,000 metres of cloth were produced, down from an all-time high of 7.6 million yards in 1966. This was partly due to the financial crash and subsequent recession, but it was also because times had changed; islanders had to face the fact that their traditional market had all but disappeared.

After all, when was the last time you pulled on your trusty woollen jerkin to nip to the shops? Technical fabrics, central heating, the rise of the car and the decline of traditional country sports meant volumes would probably never recover. So they sought a new direction – and by focusing on the global luxury market a smaller, yet much more sustainable, industry has risen from the ashes.

Fast forward a decade or so and Harris Tweed is buoyant. Its recovery is a blueprint for how clear sight, community effort and clever marketing can revitalise traditional industry, while preserving what makes it special in the first place. Uniquely, Harris Tweed is still 'dyed in the wool' – one of only three commercial mills dye the raw wool before it's turned into yarn. The yarn is then sent out to around 180 home-based weavers (who must be based at home and home must be on Harris) to weave lengths of cloth to the mills' patterns, which is then sold on the global market.

This new stability has brought changes. In the past, weaving was rarely a full-time job. This was seen as a benefit – it was a seasonal occupation that could be fitted around crofting or fishing. Now, although there are fewer weavers, there's a growing trend towards full-time work. Traditionally a man's job, there has been an influx of women weavers as well as a small – though growing – group of independent weavers who buy yarn from the mills and develop their own designs and products.

Jobs across the whole industry are prized, and the Harris Tweed Authority holds a database of young people keen to work in design, weaving or social media. That's a source of pride. A thriving industry means a thriving island, as Lorna Macaulay from the Authority notes: 'I feel a huge responsibility, because Harris Tweed really matters here. There's enormous passion for this thing we've nurtured and protected. We have a duty to keep it special for the next generation.'

The Story of the Blues

Indie weavers Carol Graham and Rob English of Borrisdale Tweed first visited Harris in 2009 to look for a holiday home. But, as islands tend to do, this one got under their skin – just a fortnight later they were back, trying to work out how to make a more permanent move. With long careers in the textile industry, Harris Tweed played an important part in their decision. 'The fact that there was a successful, vibrant local cloth industry was exciting to us,' says Rob. 'It meant we could see a way to make things work.'

It took until 2017 for them to make a full-time move, buy a loom and learn their trade, with help from the existing weaving community. A pop-up shop convinced them there was a market for making their own finished products, still relatively rare locally. As independent weavers, they're able to indulge their life-long love of colour and form, inspired by the ever-changing landscape. 'Colour has always been really important to us both,' agrees Carol. 'Sometimes I go to the mill to buy red thread, then I get caught by a pile of blue. We are playful, yet restrained, in the way we put colours together, often using a more Scandi-inspired palette. Colour makes us happy!'

Buying Tweed – and Other Island Crafts

The Harris Tweed Authority has piloted a Harris Tweed Trail, with a map of visitor centres, shops and weavers. 'The idea is for visitors to get up close and personal with the tweed,' says Lorna Macaulay of the HTA. 'Check the trail map, find a local maker, phone ahead to check they're open, then visit safely to find out more.'

There are plenty of opportunities to buy tweed across the islands too, whether it's a simple length to take home and make up, or a finished product like homeware or clothing. They include Isle 20, a digital platform set up in 2020 to help craft businesses on the islands sell online. A social enterprise with 500 small-scale, independent businesses listed across 30 separate islands, the platform sells arts, crafts, gifts, food and drink, and clothing.

To find out more, visit harristweed.org and isle20.com.