FAQs

Highland Store was started by Andrew Cuninghame and Thomas Russell, both of whom have firm Scottish ancestry and more than one foot in the 'Old Country'

We are coming up to 25 years in business, bringing the best of Scotland
to our Central London locations!

We have shops in Bloomsbury WC1 and Notting Hill W11, London.

We have two central London locations both open daily from 10.00 to 18.00 as listed below:

66 Great Russell Street
WC1B 3BN
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7405 5123
(kilt sales available at this location)

105 Portobello Road
W11 2QB
Tel +44(0) 20 7229 2848
(kilt sales not available at this location)

Notting Hill Branch

10 am - 6pm - 7 days

Central London Branch

10 am - 6 pm - 7 days

Great Russell St Location

Best Tube stations are:

Russell Square

Holborn

Tottenham Court Road

PARKING:

Metered parking is available

Within Ulez and CC zone

Portobello Road Location

Best Tube stations are:

Notting Hill

PARKING:

Metered parking is available

Within Ulez zone

At our Central London location - 66 Great Russell St - We offer a full made-to-measure kilt service along with a comprehensive range of kilt jackets, sporrans, sgian dubhs and much more.

Please note that we do not offer this service from our Notting Hill location

Please visit our Central London shop to be measured - the best way to do this is by booking an appointment on +44 (0)207 405 5123 to get the most efficient service

You can also refer to our 'Self Measuring Guide'

KILT-SELF MEASURING GUIDE

Please note that you will need two people to measure accurately

All our kilts are handmade in Scotland by our talented kiltmakers, utilising skills that have been passed down through the generations.

We offer well over 200 Family and regional tartans in a range of cloth weights.

We stock a full range of highlandwear accessories, including dress and semi-dress sporrans, sgian dubhs, belts/belt buckles, kilt pins and jackets.We always hold a limited stock of off-the-peg, ready to wear kilts, at various price points, but it is always best to telephone or email to check what we have in stock, before embarking on a long journey

Your kilt should last a life time (or more) if cared for correctly. It should be hung (not stored flat). The more evenly the weight is spread during hanging, the better. A specialised hanger called 'clamp' or 'grip' hanger should be used. The most ideal sort would have four clamps on it. You should never use the kilt's hanging loops for a prolonged period as the garment will sag and deform. For long periods you should hang your kilt as described in a suit carrier and in a dry atmosphere. Some protection against moths should be used.

A kilt should definitely NEVER be wet washed. Spot washing with a suitable detergent for 'delicates' is recommended for local staining. The process should be done with a dabbing rather than rubbing motion. It will generally be the front 'apron' of the kilt that will get dirty and so this can be done fairly easily in comparison to the complexity of the pleated rear.

In the case that there is widespread soiling and staining, the entire garment should be dry cleaned by a specialist in this field.

The length that the kilt should be worn at has evolved over time. The convention these days is that the kilt should 'hit' the middle of the knee. Military kilts have been worn longer in the past but now conform to the same basic rule.

Please note that the length of a kilt is something that CANNOT be altered, as the waist can be. High quality made-to-measure kilts are made so that the 'selvedge edge' (the actual woven edge) of the kilt is at the bottom, and you can even see where the tenterhook marks were. Put very simply, this garment is not hemmed or turned up.

A kilt that is made to 'the Sett' is one that maintains the entire tartan pattern across the pleats at the rear of the garment. The 'Military' style of pleating will have the strong vertical lines of the tartan repeated right across the pleating, creating quite a different effect. Most kilts these days are made according to 'the Sett' and unless you specify otherwise, this is the way that we make our kilts.

All our wool blankets come with the care instruction to 'Dry Clean Only' and this is the case for Merino wool, Lambswool, Alpaca and Cashmere blankets - even if they are blended with other fibres.

However, with 'Pure Wool' only Blankets, very good results can be achieved by hand washing, and careful flat-drying, following some simple care rules to avoid damaging your product.

HANGING OUT/AIRING

Wool has qualities of breathability that cotton and many synthetics do not possess.This means that some odours that the blanket might have accumulated, can be dissipated quite effectively by hanging and airing it, preferably outside.This is a preferred 'first-stop' method for all natural fibre blankets.

You will see 'Care Instructions' for individual products on the product pages below each product description.

SPOT CLEANING

In the case of light marking or soiling on the blanket, it is well worth considering spot cleaning, along with airing, rather than washing the entire item. Wool has tremendous abilities to shed marks when treated correctly.

TO DO SO:

Fill a washing bowl or pan with cool water (not warm or tepid) and add a detergent that states that it is suitable for 'delicate fabrics'. Mix well so that it is thoroughly dispersed in the water then immerse only the affected area for a few minutes.

-Remove the affected area of the blanket from the water.

-Place it on a towel and dab the stained area with a non shedding lint free cloth, pushing hard but avoiding any circular or rubbing motions, as this may damage the finish on the blanket.

-Continue this process until the stain/mark slowly subsides.

-Pat dry and dry flat.

HANDWASHING

-Get a washing bowl or bucket large enough to accomodate your blanket allowing for some movement.

-Fill it with cool water (not warm or tepid) and add a detergent that states that it is suitable for 'delicate fabrics'. Mix well so that the detergent is thoroughly dispersed in the water.

-Put the blanket in and and press down and 'knead' it gently to wash it through and get the detergent thoroughly soaked into the wool fibres. Don't wring or twist the blanket.

-Leave it to soak in bowl/bucket for 30 minutes minimum.

-Remove the blanket carefully without stretching.

-Refill the bowl/bucket with cool clean water and place the blanket back in there and repeat gentle washing motions to remove an excess detergent and suds.

-The blanket must now be removed as the next stage of the process is drying.

-Please note that any wringing must be avoided as this may permanently damage the shape. All artificial drying methods are damaging to pure wool.

-In order to remove excess water from the blanket fold it in half and roll it in a bath towel applying pressure to it until a substantial amount of moisture has been removed.

-Finally, the blanket needs to be laid across a drying rack or line avoiding any stretching or pressure points. Time and evaporation will do their magic now and you can expect a cleaner and softer blanket than with dry cleaning, and with a tiny environmental impact by comparison!

IMPORTANT NOTE

-There is a small one-time reduction in the size of the blanket when you wash it in water.

Also, some crinkling of the product label may occur due to the differing nature of this material.

MACHINE WASHING

-Machine washing is also possible but, special care must be taken selecting the correct settings, which must be COLD WASH/NO SPIN (GENTLE FOR DELICATES OR WOOL WHERE AVAILABLE)

Also, you should put the blanket in a washing bag within the machine as this can reduce abrasion that can upset the finish of the item.

Highland Store does not recommend this method of washing for any of its products due to the risk involved

For more information see our guide:

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR WOLLEN CLOTHES AND BLANKETS

DISCLAIMER

We at Highland Store believe that handwashing is a great option in terms of care of your pure wool blanket, and also the best route in terms of impact on the environment. We endeavour to give the best guidance in this respect but we cannot be responsible for any damage to your item as a result of this process.

No, but all wool, in varying degrees, has good qualities of fire retardancy, and will be much better in most cases, than the man made alternative.

Wool is certainly not waterproof but Keratin in wool is water repellent and so, handles water much better than people realise. Wool also has the ability to carry on providing a surprising degree of warm even when wet.

Wool is an extraordinary substance with many qualities that synthetic materials simply cannot better, in many areas. It is a reactive material that behaves differently according to heat and humidity levels.

It is sustainable, recyclable and more durable than most synthetic materials. Due to the nature of its keratin composition, it also requires less washing, which creates additional environmental benefits.

Yes, wool is a natural material that will biodegrade, and won't fill landfill sites. Additionally, it is also recyclable and can be used again to make new garments, with less processes involved, than other forms of recycling.

Merino wool is from a particular breed of sheep that produce finer and longer strands of hair. This  creates a softer, stronger knitted or woven material. It has become increasingly popular as people have come to realise how versatile this material is.

Merino is generally more breathable than other wool types and has started to be used to make superior undergarments for winter sports as well as its more conventional use as an overgarment.

We ship to most countries and we offer a range of competitive shipping rates to most places in the world.

We also DO NOT charge UK sales tax (VAT) on any purchases that are ordered from, and are going to countries outside the UK.

IMPORTANT NOTE

Please be aware that you are responsible for for paying any local sales taxes that might be due in your country of residence.

UK

1-2 Days Royal Mail First Class

3-4 Days Royal Mail First Class

EUROPE

7-12 Days Tracked

USA/REST OF WORLD

7-14 Days Tracked

We aim to dispatch orders within 48 hours

• We understand that sometimes things are not as you expected or wanted, so don t worry!

• If you wish to return an item, please contact us by email to make arrangements before doing so.

• Please make sure that your order number is clear on any communication and on the returned item (Yes, people have returned items without any clue where or who they are from!!)

• From the date of shipment, you have 28 days to evaluate your purchase.

• Provided it has not been worn, used or damaged and no labels have been removed, you may return it in its original, undamaged packaging for a full refund or exchange. This does not affect your statutory rights. We will refund shipping charges if the goods are faulty or not as ordered.

• We will refund you as quickly as possible to the card that you paid with