4 March 2026
Did you know? It takes 30 pairs of hands to make a ball of cashmere! And each goat only produces around 100-150g of fibres.
Cashmere usually originated from Asia, but Scotland is starting to make its mark in the local market
Lunan Bay farm is family owned and had been raising livestock for 50 years. The livestock helps improve soil health, fertilizing it as the livestock is moved around, and was a secondary source of income.
The focus on goats was the result of much research as they are very selective browsers, with brambles and willow being their favourites. They eat what cattle and sheep leave behind and are great land improvers. Lunan Bay Farm are hoping to get to around 500 goats.
Kidding takes place in early spring, similar to lambing, and indoors as it's easier to manage. This year 66 kids were expected from 33 mums, mostly twins, occasionally triplets.
The goats and their kids will all go out to grass once weather improves and kidding is done.
Research into cashmere in Scotland showed that there was a 1990’s project to bring cashmere production to Scotland. In Asia, especially Mongolia, millions of goats were being treated for their cashmere, causing environmental impact and resulting in bad management and care of the goats. So there's a lot of interest in the local, more sustainable and respectful productions of cashmere.
Raw cashmere is the undercoat grown in winter. Each goat produces just one 1 litre bag, or 100-150g.
Casting off these fibres is triggered by daylight patterns, starts with curls around the neck and the stopping they start shedding. Shearing not great Because it's harder to manage.
Lunan Bay farm is just small scale so there's no need to shear. They just need to walk around the farm looking for shedded cashmere fibres.
Raw cashmere fibres are then scoured, but contain seed heads, guard hairs, and other fibres and these have to be removed by hand before the next step which involves separating the fibres to keep just the pre fibres.. the fluff. Only one facility in the UK does this “industrially”. The fluff is then carded. All of this is very expensive, and they need to sell the fibres at £200 per 50grams.
It's so expensive that it's mostly blended with merino and other types of wool. So they have teamed up with other regenerative farmers who rear sheep for merino wool. The mix is usually about 10 percent cashmere. Merino and cashmere fibres mix easily as they are quite similar.
What is not blended is sold to Johnson's of Elgin who turn it into garments
GOATS IN COATS
it all started with a knitting competition where they asked people to knit jumpers for the kid goats, especially the triplets or weaker ones, as wooly jumpers were cheaper than electricity! The response was overwhelming, with over 500 coats having been sent from all over Scotland!
Besides helping to save energy, the colourful jumpers make it easier to spot the weaker ones!
Because of the response they decided to arrange viewings so the knitters had the chance to see the goats in their coats. Tickets sold out in no time! The 2nd year they sold 200 tickets and 3rd year 3000 tickets... With 70% of visitors being adults and visitors, including specialty knitters, coming from all over the world.
This year they even had Ailsa, winner of the first Game of Wool, judging the knitting.
With more and more people keen to support sustainable and animal friendly local production, it would seem Scottish cashmere has a bright future.
And everything is used: Guard hair is being used to create bedding and duvets, and a local artisan in Laurencekirk felts her goats milk soap.
Great to hear such a happy local story.
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