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Introduction

I am Ruth Black - a textile artist working along with my daughter and granddaughter in the Highlands of Scotland. 

"The Workshop"  is an old wooden building in the village of Inchmore, just 6 miles from Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland and dating from the mid 19th Century.  Originally it served as a joinery workshop but now it is home to a three-generation family team working with a variety of textile processes, fibres, fabrics, yarns and threads.

When we first took up occupancy of The Workshop in 2011 the main focus was to carry on our family business, Anna Macneil.

Anna Macneil (aka Barbara Morrison, 1929 - 2017) started making hats using Harris Tweed from her home on the Isle of Lewis when she moved there in the 1980s.   She was joined in this venture by me, her daughter, in the 1990s but she continued making hats until a combination of poor health and failing eyesight made it no longer possible. However, the business is still carried on by me with help from her granddaughter Mary and her great granddaughter Rachel, all of us having brought new skills, ideas and products to the business.  Read more about Anna Macneil on the website - www.annamacneil.scot

Meet the team:

Ruth Black

In addition to running the family business (Anna Macneil), I do various textile activities including feltmaking, weaving, embroidery and design.  At our Workshop I teach feltmaking when time allows, and I also go out and about to other venues to lead community art projects which involve feltmaking and other textile techniques.   My particular design speciality is in Celtic design whether that is incorporated as embroidery, felt or other techniques.  Read more on my website ~ Ruth Black - Textile Artist

Mary Wood

I help out in the family business, generally for a couple of days a week, and the rest of the time I am designing and making fabulous dresses and traditional steel-boned corsets, mostly using tartans and silks.  Everything I do is made to measure in fabrics of your choice and designed especially for you. My trading name is LochDress and you can see my work on my website  - www.lochdress.scot - if you can't make it out to The Workshop.


Rachel Wood

I work part-time in the family business and I am in the process
of starting my own complementery business - Brógan Brèagha (that's Gaelic for Beautiful Shoes) where I will be designing and making custom shoes that are made to fit perfectly - no more blisters!   It will be a while before I am able to start taking orders, but watch this space.....   www.brogan-breagha.scot


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Comments

  1. Unknown30 April 2020 at 15:18

    Gosh, wish I was back there to look in on your work shop. I used to live in the cottage next door as a child and often was in and around the workshop with the joiners son. A beautiful place and primary school.

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    Replies
    1. Ruth Black1 May 2020 at 01:04

      Well as soon as this corona virus situation has resolved, you will be very welcome to visit. The school has long-since closed with pupils now travelling to the big new school in Kirkhill. The buildings are still there - main building is now a stove showroom.

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