Oct 8, 2021

Lewis and Harris Advanture

October 2021

The Ply Guys recently visited Lewis and Harris to launch our range of Harris Tweed campervan upholstery. Working with Harris Tweed Hebrides, our builds will now feature a striking limited edition Orange Harris Tweed in addition to a traditional Black and White Herringbone. These bold designs represent the first run of seasonal colours which will be incorporated into our upholstery across our Torridon, Clachan and Cuillin furniture builds.

6 people, 2 dogs, 3 vans and 5 days in the Outer Hebrides...

We’ve been visiting the Outer Hebrides for a number of years to surf, walk and bike. We love the islands, their people, the history and of course Harris Tweed. It’s great that as a company we can now showcase this amazing fabric and incorporate it into our builds. We are proud that we now have an authentic relationship to the people and place that makes the world renowned Clo Mor (Gaelic for Harris Tweed) and cutting and fitting the cloth in Scotland makes the relationship even more special.

"The Ply Guys value craft and quality in their designs and we are thankful that they have come to Harris Tweed Hebrides for this limited edition collection. The chosen designs are fantastic and we hope that they bring comfort and style to this exciting way of travel." Mark Hogarth, Harris Tweed Hebrides.

You will no doubt have seen pictures of the Outer Hebrides resplendant in sunshine (the guide books and Visit Scotland would have you believe it never rains!) but we're a fan of Autumn. Moody skies, ever changing weather and storms rolling in from the Atlantic make it more interesting...and it's quieter.

Meet the Weaver

Callum is a 3rd generation weaver based in Valtos, Harris. We visited his croft where he showed us around and being the absolute gent that he is he set aside a good portion of his morning explaining the process of weaving whilst peddling out a few yards on his Hattersley loom. He provided a great insight into his family's history with Harris Tweed and the role it plays on the island.

And it was great to show Callum the finished product in our T5! He was definitely a fan of the Black & White Herringbone

Here’s our Caddy soaking up some Autumn rays fully dressed in Orange Harris Tweed

Hit up some Camp Sites

Niep is a great campsite with an epic beach and is just round the corner from our favourite surf beach at Cliff. It’s also owned by the Local Grazing Committee and they do a great job of keeping things in check. As we arrived at the end of the season we were treated to our own little space for the night...with the wind dropping the battle of the awnings commenced with the Caddy never really putting up a fight on this occassion!

Instead it retreated for a cheeky sunset photo shoot decked out with our limited edition Burnt Orange Harris Tweed and Torridon Small Van System. We were also loving the last minute addition of a roof rack from Retro Racks. Give Mark a shout, they're awesome.

Some other Lewis + Harris Favourites

Isle of Harris Distillery

Their whisky isn't ready yet but the gin is good and who doesn't love the bottle. We've picked up a few over the years and noticed that this year they were selling a refill bottle. Handy and definitely van friendly.

It wasn't the greatest weather (surf wise) but we did manage to get in a few times and it was surpringly warm for October! With beaches everywhere there's usually a spot that's working but on this occassion it was onshore and gusty (50mph+). Handy if you'd brought a kite...

We got some great picture of our Harris Tweed setup and through Harris Tweed Hebrides managed to squeeze in a tour of the Mill at Shawbost. It was great to complete the journey and meet all the people involved and see how the industry on Lewis and Harris has turned around.

Our Harris Tweed upholstery is available in Orange or Black & White Herringbone for Autumn 2021 and can be specified on our Cuillin, Clachan and Torridon bed systems

Next on the development list is our Birch Ply Ceiling and Wall Panels. Below is our prototype featuring the countours of the Torridon mountains, Scotland.