Keen amateur knitting and textile enthusiasts Anne Marie Foot and Catherine Sclater are keen to fill a gap in the market for fellow Highland wool and fabric fans. Catherine explained: “We are both frustrated that despite so many talented and creative producers of hand-spun and hand-dyed yarns, tweeds, and finished products operating in the Highlands it is extremely difficult to find a representative range of their goods at one venue. We believe there are a lot of people like us who want quality and enjoy finding something a little bit different for their own projects, or who want to purchase high quality locally made products but prefer to see what they are buying, rather than buy online.”

It is for this reason that Anne Marie and Catherine have joined forces to promote the inaugural Highland Wool and Textile Fair to be held at The Bishop’s Place, Eden Court, Inverness on Saturday 6th October 2012.

Anne Marie commented: “We are thrilled to have this venue. As well as being a prestigious location that will show off the exhibitors’ products to their best advantage, it is very accessible to people from all over the Highlands. We are looking to have around 30 separate companies and individuals displaying their goods for sale and so far, we have been overwhelmed with the response from suppliers. There’s still a lot of organising to be done but we are delighted with progress and are looking forward to a successful and enjoyable event. ”

Both Catherine and Anne Marie hope that the Fair will be a success and that this will be the first in a series of such events.

Admission on the day will be £2 with under 16’s allowed in free of charge. There will be a Lucky Dip consisting of donations from the exhibitors, with all proceeds going to the Highland Hospice. There are still a few tables available but anyone who is interested in exhibiting is encouraged to contact Anne Marie or Catherine very soon. They can do this via the email address highlandwtf@gmail.com.

Source: Highland Wool and Textile Fair