We are a Social Enterprise based in Skye and Kyle of Lochalsh... ...YES

I’m currently traveling to Edinburgh on the train, entertaining the seemingly incompatible; watching deer in the most intimate of environments while typing about the experience on my laptop (in the safety of the carriage) and simultaneously uploading it to the Internet through my smartphone.

If traveling on two wheels is one of the most rewarding ways to traverse the west coast, the train certainly rivals it.  On the bicycle you have to work for every yard, feeling as though you may be consumed by the landscape at any point for daring to come before her exposed.  In sharp contrast the train cuts through the landscape in stealth; piercing its heart; leaving it to pour out; in flashes, intimate moments of nature. I seldom see deer on my bike, yet I know the furtive nature of the train will often reveal them.  In this scenario it is the landscape that is exposed.

This is the longest stint I have been away from Edinburgh since moving to the Isle of Skye, and while I am excited to be going to see friends and family I am a little nervous.  The west coast has permeated my skin and its way of life has invaded my way of life.  Only this week I caught myself commenting on the roads getting very busy with all the tourists.  I heard my six-month mirrored self staring in disbelief.  Busy?  Really?  You have lived here six months and more than three cars pass you on your bike and suddenly it’s busy?

Yes choc a block thank you very much, they are disturbing my peaceful cycle to work, in fact I can’t hear myself think.  What’s more I no longer go into the Co-op at peak times as there is simply to many people in the que. Tourists eh!

What has happened to me?

I have forgotten the traffic lights, junctions and traffic jams of the city.  The thick traffic and bullying busses are a distant memory.  I have forgotten what busy is.

And this is why I’m nervous about going back to Edinburgh.  I fear I have forgotten what busy is. I am assured by the pace of life here, captivated by the open space and infinite horizon, I’ve become attuned with going to sleep while it’s still light, waking up to the noise of the Cuckoo, and cycling through the sea salt breeze.  In Edinburgh I will be going to sleep to streetlights, the Cuckoo will be replaced with car horns and sea salt will give way for asphalt.

This week some of the volunteers and staff went through to a fashion workshop in Inverness as part of the Go North programme. It is an event put on from a predominately fashion perspective, so it was interesting to contrast on the unprecedented pace and ephemeral nature of an often-fickle industry.  At Rag Tag we make clothes, love creativity and fashion for that matter, but we also would appear to have conflicting values.  We strive for sustainability, make items to last and our underlying purpose is to aid in a recovery process, which doesn’t meet deadlines.

The one thing I learned from the event, which sticks out most in my mind, is this differentiation is not only ok, but an asset. It is paramount to be yourself and reflect who you are in what you do and make. 

I’m sure many of you will have seen the film Local Hero by the Scottish Director Bill Forsyth.  It’s a fantastic film, one that depicts west coast communities with both affection and accuracy. Forsythe seems to understand (even imply) the stereotype, but he also takes us beyond this to a richer and more intricate portrait of these remote communities, revealing the unique beauty of both people and place. 

We are not a London based fashion house or Edinburgh Boutique, but a social enterprise based in a remote west coast community.

People often look to the London for inspiration, searching for the next up and coming thing or the season’s trends.  However creativity not only exists beyond the London, but also before it.  We live in a place with a deep, dark and wonderful past.  We have a rich heritage full of crofting and craft (our very shop is a converted steading) not to mention being situated in the most epic of landscapes sculpted by an ancient geological phenomenon.

Rag Tag n Textile is unique, our location is unique, our heritage is unique and I assure you the people are most definitely unique. Our products can’t help but (and should) reflect this; who we truly are; our location; our ethos and most importantly our recovery.