Harris Tweed any flaws. Once ready the cloth is finished. Dirt, oil and other impurities are removed by washing and beating in soda and soapy water before it is dried, steamed, pressed and cropped. The final process is the examination by the independent Harris Tweed Authority which visits the mills weekly, before application of their Orb Mark trademark which is ironed on to the fabric as a seal of authenticity. In 2012 the weavers and mills of the Harris Tweed industry produced one million metres of Harris Tweed, compared to 450,000 metres in 2009, which was the highest production figures in 17
Lewis and Harris (to the South) there. North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist are three distinct islands but connected by a road in the sea (causeway). Barra is another island just to the south of South Uist. The islands on the archipelago together - Lewis/Harris, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, and Barra - are known both as the Outer Hebrides, but also (especially to locals, and in political circles) as the Western Isles. Lewis/Harris is the most populous of the Scottish islands, and had just over 20,500 residents in 2011, a rise of 5.6% from the 2001 census total of 19,918. Stornoway is