A local islander pumps a foot-powered loom to weave the famous Harris Tweed at Gearrannan Blackhouse Village on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides (Western Isles), Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe. The Orb Trademark, pressed onto every length of cloth and seen on the traditional woven label affixed to finished items, guarantees the highest quality, 100% pure new wool Harris Tweed, dyed, spun and handwoven by islanders of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland at their homes, to the laws enshrined in the 1993 Harris Tweed Act of Parliament. First woven in the 1700s by crafters in the Outer Hebrides, Harris Tweed was introduced to the British aristocracy in the 1840s by Lady Dunmore. To regulate and protect the fabric against imitations, the Harris Tweed Orb certification mark was created in 1909 (the oldest British mark of its kind). Today, the yarn is no longer hand spun, a change introduced with the Hattersley mark 1 loom, the first operated by feet. Most of the required virgin wool is now sourced from mainland Scotland. Harris Tweed is truly "dyed in the wool," that is, dyed prior to being spun. Gearrannan Blackhouse Village features 9 restored traditional thatched cottages, built in the late 1800s and lived in until 1974, the last to be inhabited in the Western Isles. This image was stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
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