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.