Johnston’s of Elgin Mill Tour is a unique, eye-opening experience and one I strongly recommend you take the time in your schedule to visit. A family run business set up in 1797 with family members still running the industry today and an ethos that reflects old-fashioned values with an incredible commitment to the future of their raw material producers, staff and customers.
Johnstons for Elgin as a Company value their Mongolian farmers so much that they pay in advance. This not only ensures the health and welfare of the goats but also the supply and quality of the cashmere.
The Mill Tour takes place at the Johnstons of Elgin factory shop, starting with the Home Shop admiring all the Cashmere throws and beautiful fabrics – you are even encouraged to touch them! A short video gives you an overview of the Company and looks out for the family picture outside the house you are currently sitting in – the original Johnston family home.
If you are fortunate, you might get to see the Archives with records going back to 1797. All the original Johnston colours are here – there are 6500 colours on paper, and they are still revisited for colours back today.
You get a feel for the attention to detail that Johnston delivers, but you also get a natural feel for Scottish and Estate history of days gone by. There is something unique about family history still involving the current family members of not only owners, workers and customers that has existed for over two hundred years. You feel like you are like family.
Johnstons of Elgin Mill Tour
A walk through the mill takes you to Cashmere intake – raw cashmere is so lightweight and soft. You then walk through the entire production process, the mixing of Cashmere to make the right colour blend, the spinning, the dying, the making up of the fabrics (look carefully, and you will recognise a lot of big brand fashion houses that Johnston’s produce for), the cording and production of their scarves, still cut by hand.
The Cashmere combing process uses real Teasels – no substitution here. There are no seconds; it is either perfect or discarded. As you walk through the Mill, you will enjoy the grounds; all the buildings are the original factory buildings with their date and purpose signs on them – you are stepping through real-life history.
Look carefully for the Tibetan Cherry Tree and Indian Pistachio tree – seeds that arrived in cashmere many years ago.
The end of this free tour will leave you in awe of the attention to detail that Johnston’s demonstrates to their product. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending upon your point of view, the tour also finishes at their shop, which leaves you free to browse.
For guests staying here at Blervie House, this is where things keep getting better and better. Not only are you visiting the Johnstons of Elgin outlet store, and Johnstons of Elgin cashmere is absolutely the best there is in Scotland you will also be able to use our Blervie House Estate loyalty card in the store and save some more money!
If you get the opportunity to visit the special Johnstons of Elgin clearance sale which takes part in November but be warned it is very busy for this sought after cashmere.
Men, women, children and household items are all well catered for here – this is the perfect place for something to take home and treasure from your day spent in this part of Moray. It is also the ideal place for fashionable and warm clothing, Christmas and Birthday presents.
I need to go now have just seen the perfect Johnstons of Elgin scarf in the perfect colour! I may have seen more than one!
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