Robert Mackie of Scotland celebrates its 175th birthday

Established in 1845, and located in Stewarton, Scotland's famous 'Bonnet Toun', the company, which began making traditional Scottish Glengarry and Balmoral headwear known as "Bonnets", has grown over the years to become a leading Scottish knitwear manufacturer of luxury hats, scarves and gloves. Supplying some of the UK's best-known brands through their Customer Own Design service, Robert Mackie of Scotland has in recent years expanded into the wholesale area and supports many smaller businesses with its own branded MACKIE products.

With more than 30 seasonal styles and a multitude of colours, the Wholesale Collection features indulgent modern wardrobe classics and traditional designs and has made the Mackie brand famous not only for quality Scottish knitted accessories, but for incorporating vibrant colours and patterns, which draw on the rich textile heritage of Ayrshire. Being a full-service knitted accessory manufacturer, the entire collection is 100% "Made in Scotland" at its factory in Stewarton.

Graeme Haddow, owner and managing director of the company said, "For a company to reach a milestone birthday such as 50 these days it is a great achievement, but 175 years is almost unheard of and we are exceptionally proud of this. We have faced a great deal of uncertainty this year, but we were determined to continue servicing our loyal customers. We have a great team of dedicated and skilled staff, most of whom live locally and whose knowledge and expertise has in a lot of cases been passed down through generations. Keeping these skills alive has been a great focus for us, as has been supporting the community. We only hope that we can continue to do this for another 175 years."

www.robertmackie.com