Made In Scotland
Hand knitting has been part of the fabric of Scotland since the 15th century. By the end of the 16th century, the first knitting machines were in use and the proliferation of woollen mills across the country would eventually follow.
Half of the team here at Wairm grew up in the Scottish Borders, a powerhouse of the textile industry. Like countless regions across the UK where this industry flourished, many of the original mills and factories have long gone and have been converted into flats, supermarkets or warehouse spaces.
Fortunately, not all the mills closed their doors and in recent years there has been a resurgence of both small start-ups establishing their manufacturing base locally and household names starting to produce a small portion of items closer to home.
We are fortunate to still be able to draw on the knowledge from the previous generation of workers as well as a new wave of talent emerging from the Heriot Watt textiles campus in Galashiels and the many art institutions and business universities across the country.
The desire to increase manufacturing output in Scotland remains robust and is fuelled by the climate crisis and the awakening to the many problems which are created by mass manufactured, cheap plastic-infused textiles.
We are pleased to manufacture 100% of our knitwear in the Scottish Borders. This has increased our product prices but it brings an assurance of quality over quantity while underlining our ethical and sustainable credentials.
