Lovat Mill

The home of tweed
Lovat Mill

Shop tweed styles

British-milled excellence

At Lovat Mill in the Scottish Borders, age-old skills and craftsmanship are blended with forward-thinking innovation. The result? A traditional fabric with enduring appeal and standout performance that is synonymous with the British countryside.

From the land comes the cloth

Nestled in the heart of the Scottish Borders, Lovat Mill is renowned as the Home of Tweed, carrying forward a legacy of craftsmanship that spans generations. With a deep-rooted heritage in textile production, the mill expertly weaves premium fabrics using British wool, time-honoured techniques and modern innovation. Committed to sustainability, Lovat Mill prioritises natural fibres, responsible sourcing, and environmentally conscious production.

An image showing the dyeing and blending process of making tweed.

How is tweed made?

At Lovat Mill, the tweed-making process comprises a series of complex and intricate steps. Precision and patience are key to each. Here’s an overview of how tweed is made:

Design and yarn selection

Lovat Mill begins by designing unique tweed patterns, drawing inspiration from Scotland’s natural landscapes and heritage and an archive dating back to the 1890s. Carefully selected natural wool fibres are sourced for their quality, softness, and durability.

Dyeing and blending

The raw wool is dyed in a variety of shades before being blended together. This blending process creates the rich, complex colours that define Lovat Mill tweeds.

Spinning, twisting and winding

Measured lengths of different types and grades of wool are spun, twisted and wound onto yarns, each one unique and made up of any combination of different shades and hues. This is an intricate job that produces the basic component that all tweed is woven from, and ultimately determines the final character of the tweed.

Warping and weaving

At this stage, hundreds (or even thousands) of individual threads are simultaneously fed from the yarns into a huge machine which organises them into lengthwise warps, before loading them onto a loom. The ends are cut before state-of-the art machines, operated by a highly-skilled and experienced team, weave the wefts (individual threads running at right angles) into warp, creating the weave and pattern of the tweed.

Darning

Every inch of the woven fabric is inspected meticulously for any flaws or imperfections. At this stage in the process, skilled 'darners' will remove any faults by hand. If necessary, they will also incricately re-weave parts of the cloth prior to the final finishing of the tweed.

Finishing

Each tweed cloth will then be finished using a routine specific to its desired characteristics, which include touch and performance. The woven fabric might undergo a series of finishing processes, including washing, pressing, and brushing, to enhance its texture, durability, and softness.

Inspection and quality control

Each piece of fabric is carefully inspected to ensure it meets Lovat Mill’s exacting quality standards. Only the finest tweeds pass this final check before being sent to clients around the world.

Why Lovat Mill tweed?

Heritage and tradition

Woven in Scotland where tweed has a rich history.
A product of craftsmanship

Made by artisans using time-honoured techniques
Sustainability

Natural fibres and ethical production are central to the tweed-making process
Natural performance

Made from British wool which is soft, durable, and breathable.

A SHARED PASSION
Schöffel Country x Lovat Mill

Featured tweed collections

A lady wearing a tweed jacket and a green button through dress, it is paired with black polka dot tights and a black headband.

A man wearing a tweed waistcoat with blue quarter zip jumper and checked shirt. It is paired with dark navy jeans and he is standing outside a red brick building on a grass lawn.

Tweed trousers with a tan leather belt, paired with a checked shirt and green patterned tie.

A lady wearing a tweed cap with a matching tweed waistcoat and white shirt.

INSIGHT

Schöffel Country x Lovat Mill

"Creating the fabric for our tweed collection at Schöffel Country is a hugely collaborative process," explains Marcus Janssen, the executive director of Schöffel Country. "We all start by sharing our colour, pattern, and trend ideas. The team at Lovat Mill oozes creativity and inspiration, so the process is extremely enjoyable. What really fascinated me was how adding a single thread or two of new colour can transform the tweed into something completely different. If you look at even the most sombre-coloured tweed through a magnifying glass, you will be amazed by how many colours are woven into each thread, giving the tweed depth and lustre. It really is magical.”

An image showing fabric samples laid out with scissors and other materials.

A man wearing a white shirt and tweed blazer. He is sitting down in a show room with other tweed clothing.