From heritage to enterprise: Why Shetland's textiles sector continues to thrive

Shetland may be a name more synonymous with ponies than sheep, but it’s the ovine population which is intrinsically linked to the isles’ rich heritage and successful textiles industry.

Given the cool climate and wild winds at 60° North, it’s no surprise that Shetlanders reach for knitted garments often, whether that be the much-loved Fair Isle jumper – better known locally as a gansey – or its hatted equivalent, the toorie.

Fair Isle knitwear has always travelled well and been much-loved – an image of The Who’s Pete Townshend wearing the knitwear in London in the 1960s recently starred in an exhibition dedicated to the jumpers.

Spurred on by that famous heritage, the quality of Shetland wool and textiles have become widely recognised.

Powered by two major factories – owned by Jamieson’s of Shetland in Sandness, and Shetland Woollen Co. in Hoswick – a whole array of textile organisations has popped up all over the isles. From workshops with knitting machines to a cottage industry of skilled crafters, the industry continues to thrive, inspired by generations of heritage.

No greater showcase of that is Shetland Wool Week – a week-long celebration of the isles’ ‘oo’ – the local name for wool – and of the garments it can produce.

Started in 2010, the event has become an unprecedented success, bringing tourists from the USA, Canada, Japan and Australia and elsewhere to the isles, attracted by their passion for the craft and a desire to learn more about Shetland’s deep heritage and the native breed of sheep.

Hundreds of passionate knitters and weavers attend the annual festival, and anyone who dons the customary Wool Week hat and joins in will get a first-hand glimpse at just how diverse Shetland’s textiles industry is. A glimpse at Shetland Arts and Crafts Association membership helps further demonstrate that diversity.

Shetland wool is used by businesses across the islands to craft everything from knitwear and children’s clothing to gifts, homewares and specialist wool products. The common thread is how a deep heritage continues to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs.

Shetland's textile story demonstrates how local resources, traditional knowledge, heritage skills, and a strong sense of place can combine to create businesses with global reach.

One of Shetland Arts and Craft Association’s more recent members is Boannie Riggit – meaning well dressed in Shetland dialect – which offers bespoke and hand-stitched children’s clothing.

Its founder’s journey was not your typical textile success story. Mother of three, Andrea Abernethy, paused her 15-year NHS nursing career to pursue her love of sewing professionally.

Andrea said she had always wanted to make clothes for children, after becoming frustrated by the quality of shop-bought materials. The result was Boannie Riggit.

Andrea designs, makes, markets and dispatches bespoke clothing for children up to the age of 12, all from her home. She now sells to customers in Shetland, other island communities and across the UK.

Her creations were a natural fit for historic Lerwick retailer Anderson and Co, which – having been founded in 1873 – has proudly displayed and sold the best of Shetland knitwear for more than 150 years.

Given sheep outnumber people in Shetland by roughly 12 to 1, it’s probably no surprise that they play such a huge role in one of the isles’ oldest and richest heritage industries.

Nowhere is that legacy more obvious than in Lerwick’s main shopping area, Commercial Street, where you’re never more than a few feet away from a shop selling wares crafted, stitched, sewn or designed in the isles.

Just across the street from Anderson and Co is a similar family-owned business which has been part of Shetland’s history for well over a century. Jamieson’s of Shetland says it has specialised in wool from the native Shetland sheep for five generations. The business straddles many fields.

For over 40 years it has operated Shetland’s only spinning mill on the West Mainland in Sandness, which not only fills its own Lerwick shop but also delivers much further afield.

There has definitely been a rise in interest within the fashion industry and amongst consumers to know the origins of what you are buying and wearing.

Louise Grains, Jamieson’s of Shetland’s manager, says, “What makes us truly unique is the fact we are the only mill in the world who do every process under one roof, from buying in the raw wool clip directly from the crofters all the way through to producing knitting yarn and actual jumpers,” she says.

“Most mills only make yarn and very rarely do the scouring (washing of raw wool) in-house; it's usually done at a specialist plant.

“I don't think there are any other commercial knitwear businesses who actually spin their own yarn.”

She said that demand for both Shetland yarn and its knitwear “outstrips production capacity” at the moment, with interest continuing to rise.

“It’s been growing year on year since the 1980s, and it now seems to be well recognised as a high-quality product with excellent provenance,” Grains says.

“There has definitely been a rise in interest within the fashion industry and amongst consumers to know the origins of what you are buying and wearing.”

Another major supplier in the heart of Lerwick is the woolbrokers Jamieson and Smith, who again have been part of the textiles story in Shetland for the best part of a century.

The business may not be based on Lerwick’s main street, but is still a distinctive presence in the town because of its large, grey, tin shed on North Road – which usually features a unique woolly display in its windows.

While also selling wool direct to knitters, Jamieson and Smith is best known for purchasing wool from Shetland’s crofters before baling it up and shipping it out to the world.

Chances are if you’ve bought Shetland wool on the UK mainland at any point Jamieson and Smith will have played a part in it – they estimate themselves they ship out around 250 tonnes a year.

Shetland Woollen Co. in Hoswick, in the South Mainland, may be some distance from the heart of Lerwick but still plays a major role in the isles’ textiles tale.

Started back in 1924, the now employee-owned company is one of Shetland’s remaining few knitwear factories and tries to use local wool as much as possible to produce its wares.

Its garments are highly sought after, and not just in Shetland. Shetland Woollen Co. was surprised recently to have its knitwear bought for use in the recent Domhnall Gleeson film The Incomer.

Why is Shetland knitwear so popular and so sought after? Grains thinks it’s mainly due to the high quality of Shetland wool.

“It's an incredible breed of wool with very special characteristics and when you couple it with the 'living heritage' of our industry it makes it all pretty unique,” she adds.

With the textiles industry in Shetland having started over 150 years ago and continuing to rise and increase in popularity, it is clear isles’ producers are doing something right.

And with increasing consumer interest in sustainable fashion and demand for authentic heritage brands, there are likely many more opportunities for ambitious Shetland businesses to capitalise on the islands’ rich textile heritage.

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