The Highland country tailor with a royal warrant
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Many well-dressed men and women have made their way to this store, including King Charles III (Campbell’s holds a royal warrant). It’s a dream of country clothes and tweed and knits that make you want to drive around your estate with your deerhound in an old Defender (they have one of those too, parked outside).
Campbell’s was founded as a haberdashers in 1858 and remained in the same family until 2015 when it was bought by John Sugden, whose family has been in the textile business for generations. Little has changed over the past century and a half; the original shelves and cabinets still line the walls.
The store is an anachronism, in that you must go to Beauly (about half an hour from Inverness) to get the full experience: a wall of tweeds in soft browns and greens, in herringbone, in houndstooth and in Prince of Wales check that you can have made into plus-fours, the roomy trousers traditionally worn for shooting if you’re that sort of sporting gentleman (bespoke starts at £795, a matching jacket begins at £1,600), a handmade kilt (from £850), a bespoke sport coat (from £1,600) or whatever else your heart desires.
Many of these materials can’t be found anywhere else. Some are deadstock from the large estates that make their own tweed; others are commissioned by Campbell’s directly from local mills. There are delightfully excruciating decisions to make about pattern and weight. Heavy-duty tweed is better for the field but might be a little too heavy for a coat you plan to wear indoors.
Sugden then measures out your length of fabric and cuts it with a large pair of scissors. This part always makes me nervous — it’s so final — but you’re in good hands. At the back of the shop, there’s a room with large taxidermy salmon on display where you can get your garments fitted. Sugden employs a tailor who can make you whatever you need. If you’re not around for a series of fittings, then bring your fabric home with you.
You can also lose yourself in a series of rooms lined with racks of house ready-to-wear: cashmere scarves (from £95), jumpers (from £120), cashmere sweaters (from £329) and something called a Crofter’s Blanket (£145), inspired by the natural, undyed wool blankets used by Highland farmers, which I buy in a lovely cream and brown houndstooth. James leaves with two bags of sweaters, scarves and gifts. As we get into the wagon, he says: “You know, I could easily have bought twice as much.” That’s the spirit.
Highland Tweed House, High Street, Beauly; campbellsofbeauly.com
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