As part of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, experience a Guided Tour of Knockando Woolmill with one of our specialist tour guides!
Discover the social history of the Mill, its restoration and the production processes carried out on site.
This will be followed with refreshments of tea and coffee at our Red Roof Coffee Shop including some whisky themed treats!
Where: Knockando Woolmill, Knockando, AB38 7RP (Near Cardhu Distillery)
Available Time Slots:
Cost per person: £25.00
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Named after Winnie (Winifred) Stewart who worked in the Old Mill Shop and office. Winnie took over this role from Emma Smith after she broke her leg in the early 60s. Her husband Duncan Stewart started working alongside Emma and James Smith in 1919. One of Winnie's many roles was finishing the edges of the blankets with a 'whip' stitch. The sewing machine she used to carry out this work can be viewed in the old shop today.
Winnie whipping the blankets (1971)
A close up of the 'whip' stitch.
Beyond her technical skills, Winnie had a warm and welcoming personality that endeared her to customers. A bottle of sherry was reserved for big customers and they would be invited into the Mill House for a glass. School children would stop on their way home from the primary school at Cardhu to Lower Knockando for some juice and a biscuit - if they were lucky!
This stylish accessory combines classic design with a modern twist. Crafted with care and attention to detail, our Winnie hat is made from a waterproof waxed cotton and incorporates our Strathspey Tweed. It's sleek silhouette adds sophistication to any outfit, making you feel confident and effortlessly chic.
]]>It's been a wintery start to the year here at Knockando.
Featured, a couple of aerial shots of the Mill and the beautiful surrounding area covered in a blanket of snow last week.
We are reaching for our throws just looking at these frosty scenes..brrr!
The Mill's historic buildings and retail shop are currently open to the public, 10am - 4pm, Monday - Friday.
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We are excited to announce we have restocked 3 of our Strathspey Tweeds.
At 680gsm per metre, our Strathspey Tweed is a wonderfully robust fabric suitable for clothing, upholstery, curtains and carpet.
Available to purchase by the metre with a 150cm width.
BEN RINNES
Classic herringbone featuring a beautiful mix of country colours. Green lovat encapsulates the fresh growth of Spring with a medley of lively greens speckled with fresh lime and teal - perfect all year round.
CANISP
The bold lines of this tweed make a strong statement while staying true to the soft colours of the Highlands of Scotland.
BEN DONICH
A lovely soft green herringbone with paler undertones.
Any recent visitors to the Mill this year will have noticed that our much loved waterwheel has been out of commission.
The wheel stripped down.
The wood replaced and the wheel ready to go!
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Over the next week enjoy a complimentary gift of a Knockando tweed pencil case worth £21.00 with purchases over £100.00!
Have a favourite? Quote which design you would like in the special instructions box under the My Cart section when ordering.
Don't miss out! Offer ends midnight, Monday 14th August.
With the help of the The Budge Foundation this tired space has been transformed into a warm and inviting area, designed to facilitate educational workshops, tour groups, design meetings and seating area for our visitors!
Below, images of the classroom before and after the refurbishment.
We would like to thank The Budge Foundation for their generous contribution to the refurbishment, local carpenter, W G Cruickshank for laying the vinyl flooring, and Mill trustees and staff for painting and dressing the area.
"John Mantach Grant was a solicitor in Edinburgh and an amateur painter of water colours. He was a nephew of Miss Grant, the centenarian who lived in Willowbank, (the cottage just across the burn from the Woolmill) until she died in 1925.
His middle name, Mantach, was his mother’s maiden name. Like Margach, the name was not uncommon in those days. A search of the internet today will show just how unusual the name "Mantach" is.
John enjoyed painting local subjects and I am fortunate to have a number of his original watercolours."
More of John Mantach Grant's watercolours can be seen at the website of Pipe Major John Grant (a contemporary of his).
Special thanks to Tamdhu Distillery for kindly donating a bottle of 12 year old for our delicious whisky inspired bakes and to The Crafty Manic for sharing her spinning knowledge.
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September Savings have arrived with 50% off all Whisper of Cashmere scarves.
This is a luxurious limited-edition collection of exquisite, soft and beautifully woven scarves with three innovative designs inspired by the countryside.
Delightfully soft with a cashmere and lambswool blend, the scarves deliver stylish accessories that transcend day to night.
Whisper of Cashmere offers the perfect investment, self-treat or luxury gift.
Hurry! Limited stock available, offer ends 30th September.
Our distinctive Knockando Tartan was created to celebrate the restoration of Knockando Woolmill and its long weaving tradition.
The design is inspired by our iconic Mill window, with one large pane surrounded by smaller panes of glass. This pattern was incorporated within the design check.
The colours used reflect the Mill site and the surrounding area, with the red for our rust roofs, blue from the Knockando Burn and green from the surrounding fields all of which would have played an important part in the Mill crofting past. A hint of gold completes the check as the Mill is situated in the heart of whisky country.
Browse our selection of products featuring our beautiful house tartan here.
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FRESH SCENTS
Time to relax and fill your home with the soothing scents of our Home Candle range, including Croft, Lavender Spa and Clover!
Encased in open glass gloss white jars to sit beautifully in any interior setting.
TRAVEL READY
Our soft tweed wash bags and travel pouches are great when on the move. Designed to be light as a feather whilst offering sturdy durability and a roomy interior for all of your belongings.
Choose from a variety of cheerful, Spring colours.
GREAT COMPANIONS
Sure to put on a show our tweed teddy bears are beautifully crafted and fully jointed to allow easy transition into different poses.
Presented in an array soft pastel shades for the perfect Easter gift.
In the year 2000, the Knockando Woolmill won the Scottish heat of the BBC 2 programme Restoration, compered by Giles Brandreth. The four regional winners went forward to the final, but the Woolmill's bid to win the £1 million prize was not successful.
However the importance of the site and its A listed machinery had by then been recognised, and the Knockando Woolmill Trust was formed to raise the funds required for the restoration of the whole site.
By 2010 the Trust had successfully secured the £3.5 million required to carry out the work, and the two-year renovation process began.
On completion of the project, HRH the Duke of Rothesay officially opened the Knockando Woolmill to the public on 9th October 2012.
A memorable occasion, it was an opportunity to celebrate the newly restored site, and to thank all those involved in making the project a reality.
The Old Mill building before and after restoration. The buildings were comprehensively and painstakingly restored, making sure that as much as possible of the original fabric of the buildings was retained.
2013
You might remember that Knockando Woolmill was featured as one of three community garden spaces Beechgrove Garden helped redesign back in 2013 with the Mill on TV screens that September.
Beechgrove Garden worked on a design that was sensitive to the history of the mill and made provision for the dye plant garden and vegetable plots inspired by the Woolmill’s crofting past.
Many local volunteers helped with the preparation, working on the groundwork and drystone walling as well as during the filming process itself, turfing, sowing, raking, planting and potting.
To commemorate the restoration of our Mill garden, we also designed a special tartan based on the McColl sett after the programme’s presenter Jim McColl. It incorporates purple, white and the greens from the Beechgrove Garden logo.
Photographs of the garden during and after restoration
The Beechgrove Garden Tartan being woven on our historic Dobcross loom
A throw with an approximate size of 5 x 6 feet (Don't worry if it is larger, it will only result in a longer cape size)
One pair of sharp fabric scissors
Measuring tape
Tailor's chalk
Wool yarn
Tapestry needle with a large eye
Step 1
Lay the throw flat.
Fold it in half lengthwise. This will create your shoulder line.
Step 2
Measure halfway across the width at both the top and bottom.
Mark the measurements on one side of the folded throw with the Tailor's chalk, then join the dots vertically. The line should run straight up the centre of the folded throw.
Ensuring you are cutting only one side of the folded throw; cut vertically up the line.
Step 3
Measure 4 inches horizontally on either side of the cut at the top of the fold.
Mark each side with the Tailor's chalk, then cut along the fold to each point. This will create the opening for the neck.
Step 4
Using your wool yarn and tapestry needle finish the edges with a blanket stitch.
The finished piece!
Style your cape as above or using a belt or rope, circle your waist beneath the cape at the back, through the sides and around the front to enhance your waist's silhouette leaving the cape at the back to move freely.
We hope that you have all had an enjoyable and relaxing break over the festive season.
Captured above, a picturesque winter scene of the Mill welcomed us last week to start off 2022.
Things are quiet at the moment with our historic buildings and shop closed. However exciting preparations are underway for the Mill's 10th season since its restoration.
You can keep up to date with all of the Mill's latest news and offers though our newsletters, website and social media.
Meantime, our biggest online sale is still running with up to 50% off selected items.
From luxurious, statement throws to freshen up your interior space to our hardcover notebooks, perfect to jot down your goals and plans for the year ahead.
Ends Sunday 16th January
Above, a delighted customer in his Strathspey Tweed suit created by bespoke tailors, Stewart Christie & Co.
Typical fabric quantities required for items -
Keepers Jacket 2.5m
Waistcoat 1.2m
Breeches 1.6m
With Christmas fast approaching, we've put together a list of the last shipping dates to ensure your Knockando gift arrives in time for the big day🎁
Last UK posting dates for Christmas 2021
Monday 20 December - Royal Mail Tracked 48*
Tuesday 21 December - Royal Mail Tracked 24*
Last international standard & international tracking and signature services
Monday 6 December - Australia Greece, Italy, New Zealand and Portugal
Wednesday 8 December - Africa, Central and South America, Asia, Far and Middle East
Friday 10 December - Cyprus, Malta and Sweden
Saturday 11 December - Eastern Europe (except Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia), Turkey
Monday 13 December - Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Poland and USA
Thursday 16 December - Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland
*Any orders made on or after Tuesday 21st December, will not be despatched until Tuesday 4th January.