Helen McLeod works in our Highland Wear department here in our Aberdeen store.

This weekend she is raising charity funds by participating in the Great North Run.

By kind permission of the Mearns Leader we’re sharing her story here.

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A STONEHAVEN woman is set to take on the Great North Run this weekend to raise hundreds of pounds for a charity close to her heart.

Helen Mcleod - Great North Run

Helen McLeod will tackle the world’s biggest half marathon this Sunday in aid of the Cardiomyopathy Association, a charity which works to support people and their families affected by the hereditary heart muscle disease, which is the most common cause of sudden deaths in under 35-year-olds.

Two years ago Helen was a novice runner with Jog Scotland when she was first inspired to take on a charity run after her father Peter Lidster was diagnosed with the condition.

This will be her second trip to Newcastle for the Great North Run, having completed the 13 mile course last year for the same charity.

After a recent successful operation Peter has discovered a new lease of life, but the family continue to be tested for the hereditary condition, and Helen is keen to keep supporting the good work of the charity.

Helen told the Leader: “The Cardiomyopathy Association is one of the lesser known charities but they do a sterling job in the support of families affected and to raise awareness of the condition too.�
Fresh from taking on her first Edinburgh Marathon in May, Helen is feeling fit and confident and hopes to raise over £1000 from her efforts.

She said: “I’ve been following the training programme but I’m not too bothered about getting a good time, I just want to do it and raise as much as possible.�

If you would like to support Helen and the work of the Cardiomyopathy Association you can do so on her Justgiving website at:
www.justgiving.com/helenmcleod1

A new addition to our already comprehensive clothing range is a fantastic selection of luxurious cashmere scarves.

What is cashmere?

It may surprise you to know that cashmere wool originates from goats that roam the desert!

The only source of cashmere wool comes from the Kashmir goat. Originally indigenous to the Kashmir province, a mountainous region of North Western India this unique animal was quickly recognised as a source of one of the animal kingdoms most extravagant products. As a result local entrepreneurs began to breed and export the animals and today many countries are home to the Kashmir goat. The country with the enviable reputation of producing the best cashmere wool is Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of Northern China. The wool is harvested only once every year, during the post winter molting season. This is done by a combination of shearing and natural shedding, as the goats lose their protective coats so necessary for protection during the harsh winter conditions of a high desert climate. Each goat produces a meagre 4.5oz (125grams) of wool – just enough to make a single scarf!

The unique length of fibres in cashmere wool makes it especially soft and also reduces the chances of a garment ‘pilling’. This is a term used for the small balls of fabric that appear on cheaper woolen products caused when normal wear and cleaning unravel the fibres.

If Inner Mongolia is renowned for its cashmere wool then Scotland is surely as much renowned for its weaving. Our full range of cashmere scarves are sourced from only the best Scottish manufacturer, Johnstons of Elgin, who guarantee us that the wool comes directly from Inner Mongolia and that their manufacturing process produces only the highest quality of product available.

Here is a brief outline of how our cashmere scarves are made.

To say something is 100% cashmere is only the beginning of the story. What sets our suppliers apart is the workmanship which goes into everything they produce. The cashmere goes through 30 different exacting processes, each of them watched over by the latest generation of craftsmen. At every stage the cashmere is checked for the tiniest imperfections. One thing you’ll notice is how neat and flat the seams are. That is because they bring together the main elements stitch by stitch in a single-needle seam for a neat and comfortable low profile finish. Many of the finishing touches are done by hand. Finally to remove any remaining impurities and oil they wash each garment in the same soft highland water that is used to make the world’s finest whiskies.

We at kiltmakers.co.uk pride ourselves with the quality of our products and we are certain that our new range of luxury cashmere scarves are a testament to this.