Harris Tweed is one of the few products in Britain with a legal definition tied to its place of origin and its method of production. Every length of cloth carries the orb certification mark and must be woven by hand at the weaver's own home. On Harris and Lewis you can visit working weavers and watch the process — the hand-operated looms are loud, intricate, and not much changed from a century ago. Several crofters combine weaving with farming, and will show you around if you arrive at the right moment.
The main Harris Tweed outlet and visitor centre is the Harris Tweed Authority in Stornoway, which explains the history and connects visitors with working weavers. You can buy cloth directly from weavers around Harris; prices are cheaper and the experience is more genuine than buying in a mainland shop. The distinctive smell of the cloth — lanolin, damp wool, and peat smoke — is particular to the islands and to nothing else.