Scoping Exercise Report
Towards a sustainable Shetland textile sector: practitioner needs, network design and structural priorities
September 2025
Executive Summary
This independent report, produced by the Shetland Textiles Network, presents findings from a scoping exercise (November 2024-July 2025) assessing current and future needs of Shetland’s textile sector.
The sector is renowned for its high-quality wool, traditional techniques and heritage designs, but has faced growing challenges from skills shortages and limited infrastructure. The 2024 closure of UHI Shetland’s Contemporary Textiles degree and the central knitwear production unit (TFU) has brought the industry to a critical juncture, threatening skills continuity, resilience and opportunities for new entrants.
In response, the Shetland Textiles Network was established as a collective to preserve and advance Shetland’s textile heritage, support innovation, foster collaboration and enhance strategic connections. One of its first tasks was the scoping exercise underpinning this report, which combined an online survey, group discussions (gadderies) and interviews. Stakeholders included designers, makers, educators, manufacturers, yarn producers and heritage workers, many of whom held multiple roles, highlighting the sector’s interconnected, multi-skilled nature.
Key Findings
Skills, Training and Youth Engagement: Practical skills training, formal design education and clear pathways from schools to advanced training are urgently needed. Intergenerational learning, and linking skills to commercial opportunities, are essential for sector sustainability.
Marketing, Branding and Strategic Support: The sector faces fragmentation, inconsistent pricing and the misuse of ‘Shetland’ and ‘Fair Isle’ by producers elsewhere (neither term is protected). Coordinated support through a unified industry body would strengthen brand credibility, enable participation in trade events, provide business guidance and promote the Shetland textile identity globally.
Beyond Wool Week: While the Shetland Wool Week event showcases the industry globally, year-round support for local skills development, professional growth and business development is limited. Over-reliance on short-term events risks gaps in ongoing professional support and may mask underlying sector fragility.
Networks and Collaboration: There is economic and cultural value in networks for knowledge sharing, mentorship, professional development and collaboration. Connections with museums, community groups, tourism and international peers were valued for broadening opportunities, supporting innovation and enhancing visibility.
Impact of Facility Loss: While private production capacity and external suppliers have mitigated some gaps left by the loss of the TFU, there remains a strong need for a multi-purpose space combining production, training in essential skills, local education, exhibition and community engagement.
Strategic Vision and Sustainability: Long-term planning, cohesive strategy and investment in skills, infrastructure and marketing are critical to safeguarding the cultural and economic future of an industry which is increasingly used to promote Shetland.
Proposed Solutions
Three complementary structures emerged as solutions:
A Reimagined Industry Body (‘New Shetland Knitwear Trade Association’): To unify the sector, provide marketing and brand coordination, support business development and training and represent Shetland textiles internationally.
A Shetland Textile Centre: A multi-purpose hub offering shared workspaces, machinery, studios, training, workshops, mentoring, exhibitions and links to higher education. Alternative governance models (SCIO or CIC) could allow reinvestment while ensuring sustainability, with potential capital funding from public, philanthropic and corporate sources.
A Practitioner Network: The Shetland Textiles Network will facilitate skills sharing, mentorship, collaborative projects and knowledge exchange across Shetland and beyond, complementing the proposed SKTA and Textile Centre and supporting the sector development plan. We welcome the launch of SOK: Shetland’s Organisation for Knitters since this report was drafted, and see our role as supporting such initiatives across the broader Shetland textiles sector.
Sector development plan
We recommend that the Shetland Islands Council implement a cohesive sector development plan addressing skills, recruitment, business growth and sustainability – as recommended in the Weave Consult Report (Shetland Islands Council, 2025), but with the Economic Development Department providing central facilitation and coordination to balance diverse agendas and ensure strategic coherence and continuity.
Acknowledgements
The Shetland Textiles Network wishes to thank all those who shared their time, experience, and perspectives so generously in contributing valuable feedback to this exercise.