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Project Detail

The Weavers

Two hands hold a thread of wool during the process of weaving tartan

Synopsis

Rob Beaton has been weaving tartan and tweed in the Scottish Borders since he was 14. Now 84, he is Scotland's oldest and longest-serving mill worker, operating 100-year-old traditional shuttle looms. With no apprentice to carry on his craft, the mill where he has worked for over four decades may soon be forced to close.

But elsewhere in Scotland, a different story is unfolding. At another mill in Highland Perthshire, a young apprentice is learning the trade, and the ancient rhythms of the looms are being passed to a new generation.

Once, Scotland's textile industry employed nearly 75% of the population. Today, that figure stands at just 0.2%. Against the backdrop of that decline, the stories of these two mills paint a portrait of an industry at a crossroads.

Through his film, Callum McCulloch-Nowlan celebrates the workers, machines, and spaces of Scotland's weaving tradition, while exploring the urgency of preserving a disappearing craft.
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Details

Year
2026
Type of project
Shorts
Running time
10 min 2 sec
Format
Digital
Director
Callum McCulloch-Nowlan
Producer
Callum McCulloch-Nowlan
Executive Producer
Vixy Rae
Editor
Lindsay Watson BFE
Director of Photography
Lewis Watson
Sound
Patrick Collins
Key Art
Aidan Mooney

Genre

Scottish

Categories

Documentary

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

St Cyrus Studios

Callum McCulloch-Nowlan

Sales Company

St Cyrus Studios

Callum McCulloch-Nowlan

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