Begg Scotland

In the Scottish town of Paisley in 1869, Alexander Begg began to produce the hand-woven shawls for which the town is famed. With the introduction of power looms at the turn of the last century, the company relocated to the coastal town of Ayr where it is still based to this day.

Alex Begg & Co weaves and finishes luxury accessories - scarves, stoles and throws - made from the noblest fibres, cashmere, silk, angora and the finest wools. Cashmere is of paramount importance and is a fundamental inclusion in the company's extensive stock service collections.

Cashmere is a natural fibre which comes from goats of the genus Capra Hircus Engagrus. Originally bred in Northern India, today the finest cashmere is grown in the autonomous Chinese region of Inner Mongolia. In order to survive their hostile environment of bitterly cold winters, the goats develop an under-fleece of extremely soft fibre. This under-fleece, which lies beneath a coarser outer-fleece of guard hair, is known as ‘duvet'. It is worth noting that these special animals produce only 150-200 grams of the precious under-fleece per year so it is the rarity of the fibre that makes cashmere so exceptional. Only the finest fibre is selected by Begg and yarns are spun to the company's own exacting specification. At Begg, old traditional machinery sits side-by-side with the very latest in textile technology, each optimised to produce products of outstanding quality. The skill of the weaver and finisher is vital and operatives undergo lengthy training; in many cases skills have been passed down through the generations.