Orkney Angora is the home of responsibly sourced angora yarn. When ordering from Orkney Angora you are dealing with a small, family-run business situated in one of Orkney’s most northerly isles. This unusual cottage industry was originally established by William & Elizabeth Sichel, from the ruins of a derelict croft, in the spring of 1982. Following the sad loss of Elizabeth, and over 35 years of running the business, William has decided to move on. The business is now owned by Tracy Ranger, who will continue to run the operation from her smallholding, also on Sanday, and it will remain a very personally run operation.

The natural resource most freely available here, off the north coast of Scotland, is wind and plenty of it. Orkney Angora makes use of clean, wind-generated power for all their business activities such as the hand dyeing and the hank and ball winding operations.

When buying from Orkney Angora you are trading with a small, artisan business where Tracy does everything by hand – washing the hanks, hand dyeing over 40 shades, drying the hanks then winding them on to cones then finally into small balls or ‘cakes’ of fluffy yarn.

Not open to the public alas, but items available online 24/7, and via the Craft Hub and Sinclair General Stores