What Robert Mackie is known for
Scottish knitwear maker in Stewarton, Ayrshire - the 'Bonnet Toun' - founded in 1845 by Robert Mackie, continuing a local bonnet-making trade centuries old. Now the town's last bonnet manufacturer, producing Glengarry and Balmoral headwear alongside broader knitwear.
Stewarton, in East Ayrshire, has been known as bonnet-making country for over 400 years, with nearly the whole town once involved in the trade. Robert Mackie's own family connection to the industry began through Thomas Mackie, who arrived from Irvine to supply feathers and dyestuff to local bonnet makers and started a spinning and dyeing business. In 1845, Robert Mackie moved on from that family enterprise to found his own bonnet-making concern, producing traditional Scottish Glengarry and Balmoral headwear. Where the town once supported many such workshops, Robert Mackie of Scotland is now the sole surviving bonnet manufacturer still operating in Stewarton, and the company has diversified over time into broader knitwear production while retaining its historic core craft.
Best for — Scottish knitted hats
Scotland
Where next
- Pacha Textiles — Peru
- Vellon Negro — Argentina
- Ditta Guenzati — Milan
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