Clan Douglas, one of the oldest and most famous of the Scottish Borders Clans, provides the company name and a wonderful historic tale of valour.

Sir James Douglas was a noble member of the clan who, in 1329, was called to defend his faith in the Holy Wars. A Silver casket containing the heart of Robert the Bruce, Scotland's recently dead Hero King was reverently provided by Roberts son, King David. This, Sir James took with him into battle. One such battle took the life of Sir James Douglas. Greatly out numbered and knowing death was inevitable he threw the heart of his King into the ranks of his foes and charged, calling out to his followers to fight in the name of the King, their beloved Scotland and the families they had left behind.

The casket and Sir James' body were later found side by side and were returned to his beautiful Scottish Borderland.

A company which combines experience and pride with all the benefits of modern technology. A combination that allows us to provide unrivalled attention to our customers' requirements. The luxury of natural yarns such as Cashmere, Geelong, Merino, are the cornerstone of our knitwear business. These sensuous fibres are transformed into customers individual design collections, including tartans, argyles, cables and ribs.

Finding a Clan Douglas cashmere may be almost as difficult an undertaking as crafting one, be prepared to spend at least $250 and as much as $500 per sweater, and plan to up the price considerably if it's unusual or of intricate design.

Keep in mind that not all Scottish sweaters are created equal. And not all sweaters with the "Scottish" in their name are produced in that country. Check out the back of the tag and you will be surprised how often it ends up reading "Made in China."

You only have to run your fingers over a cashmere sweater from China, then stroke a Clan Douglas sweater, to realise that, while one is soft, the other is finely fashioned ecstacy. In other words, there is soft... and then there is soft. A Clan Douglas sweater feels like a sensual whisper against the skin. The buttons are crafted from mother-of-pearl, drilled straight from the shell, never plastic. "These details are like the little touches to a Rolls-Royce," says Columba Reid, Managing Director of Clan Douglas. "We're the champagne of fibres," he says, "so why not make our sweaters Rolls-Royces? Because if we lose our quality, we've lost our business."

It is Clan Douglas, in the town of Hawick, that keeps China from a complete take-over. Very simply, Clan Douglas creates the finest cashmere sweaters in the world. Scotland has two natural resources that are impossible to replicate. First there are the craftsmen who deftly create perfection with instincts born from generations of spinners, knitters and weavers and then, there is the water. Scots are reverential of their water which, for no known reason, is so soft that a rain shower feels like mist. It is this water that gently opens the fine cashmere hairs and releases their voluptuous texture. And it is the way which this magical liquid passes its properties on to fibres, matched with the craftsmen of Clan Douglas, that keeps China from owning the entire cashmere industry.

The process is too painstaking for most manufacturers.

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Copyright Clan Douglas Limited 1999.