Peter Scott’s knitwear mill in Hawick stood for nearly a century and a half as a pillar of Scotland’s textile heritage. Founded in 1878 by a young local entrepreneur, the mill grew from humble beginnings into a world-renowned producer of quality knitwear. Over generations, it adapted from crafting simple woollen underwear to creating luxurious cashmere garments worn across the globe. This chronicle follows the mill’s journey through its founding days, periods of innovation and expansion, wartime contributions, post-war glory, and eventual decline – all set against the rich tapestry of Hawick’s Borders community.
Founding and Early Years (1870s–1890s)
The story begins in the late 19th century in Hawick – known locally as “Hoyk” – a Borders market town already gaining fame for its knitwear industry. In 1878, a Hawick native named Peter Scott established his own knitwear venture. Peter was the son of a local grocer and had entered the hosiery trade as a boy apprentice at age 13, learning his craft on hand-operated knitting frames. Ambitious and skilled, he partnered with his uncle, Peter Adamson, who ran a stocking-making shop on Drumlanrig Place. Together they launched the firm Peter Scott & Co. to produce knitted goods.
In its earliest years, the company specialised in woollen undergarments and hosiery – the everyday essentials of the Victorian wardrobe. Hawick’s knitters were renowned for fine-gauge stockings and underwear, and Peter Scott’s business was no exception. The operation started small, originally occupying a disused church hall known as “the Tabernacle” from 1881. By 1884, Peter Scott had amicably split from his uncle to take full ownership of the enterprise, setting the stage for independent growth.
From the outset, Peter Scott’s knitwear was marked by quality craftsmanship. The Hawick region offered an ideal environment for textiles: soft water from the River Teviot and Slitrig Water for washing wool, a skilled local workforce, and new railway links for distributing products beyond the Borders. These factors helped the young company thrive. As orders increased, the cramped church building could no longer contain the business. In 1893, after just over a decade in operation, Peter Scott & Co. relocated to a larger mill on Buccleuch Street, closer to the heart of town. This new site – a former Commercial Bank building adapted into a factory – would become the company’s iconic home for over a century.
Expansion and Innovation in the Late 19th Century
The move to Buccleuch Street in 1893 signalled rapid expansion for Peter Scott’s mill. The new premises allowed installation of modern knitting machines, known as “patent frames,” which greatly increased production capacity. Embracing mechanisation early was a shrewd strategy; it enabled the company to meet growing demand while competitors lagged behind. Hawick’s knitwear industry was shifting from hand-knitting towards factory production, and Peter Scott positioned his firm at the forefront of this transition.
One of the most significant innovations came in 1898, when Peter Scott & Co. introduced an “unshrinkable” woollen underwear line. Washing woollens without shrinking had long been a challenge for consumers. The company pioneered a proprietary process to prevent shrinkage, producing underwear that kept its size and shape after laundering. This breakthrough proved immensely popular. By 1899, “Pesco’s Unshrinkable Underwear” – using the company’s trademark “Pesco” (a contraction of Peter Scott & Co.) – became a household name in quality knitwear. The Pesco brand gave the company a competitive edge and soon became Hawick’s affectionate nickname for the mill itself.
As the 19th century drew to a close, Peter Scott’s enterprise was riding a wave of success. The Buccleuch Street factory had to be expanded in stages to accommodate more knitting frames and workers. Construction continued into the early 1900s; by 1913 the facility spanned a full block and featured a distinctive octagonal chimney that loomed over Hawick’s skyline. (Notably, this brick chimney – topped with its original corniced rim – became a local landmark and the only one of its kind left intact in the Borders.) The expanded mill complex, including a west wing added in the 1920s, blended functional industrial design with the sturdy sandstone architecture typical of Victorian Scotland.
While production capacity grew, Peter Scott & Co. also developed its brand identity. The company logo incorporated founder Peter Scott’s own cursive signature alongside a leaping stag emblem – a nod to the Borders’ rural heritage. “Peter Scott” as a label came to signify dependable luxury in knitwear, trusted by customers far beyond the Borders. From cosy woollen long johns to smart ribbed stockings, the mill’s late-1800s output set a standard for quality.
Early 20th Century Growth and New Products
By the turn of the 20th century, Peter Scott’s knitwear mill was firmly established as a leader in Hawick’s textile scene. Building on its underwear and hosiery success, the company boldly expanded its product range. From the early 1900s, it ventured into knitted outerwear and sportswear, applying the same quality standards to new types of garments. This move proved timely: as lifestyles changed in the Edwardian era, demand grew for casual woollen jerseys, cardigans, golf jumpers, and sporting pullovers. Peter Scott & Co. was ready to outfit this burgeoning market.
The popularity of the mill’s outerwear lines prompted further physical growth. In 1916, amid the First World War, the company opened a second factory on Commercial Road in Hawick. This satellite unit specialised in producing hosiery (socks and stockings) and lighter knits, freeing up the main Buccleuch Street plant for heavier garments. Three years later, in 1919, a third site at Wilton Path was established, dedicated to the booming sportswear and coat business (for instance, knitted “sports coats” and sweaters for leisure wear). By operating multiple facilities, Peter Scott & Co. could keep up with orders and segregate different production lines efficiently.
Around this time, the firm’s workforce swelled dramatically, reflecting its status as one of Scotland’s foremost knitwear manufacturers. Contemporary accounts describe the Peter Scott mill in the 1910s as perhaps “the largest firm of its kind in Scotland,” with well over 800 employees at peak. Many of these workers were highly skilled female knitters, linkers, and finishers drawn from Hawick and the surrounding towns. The mill was running at full tilt to meet both civilian and military needs during the 1914–18 war.
The First World War brought both challenges and opportunities. With so many men in the armed forces, domestic demand for luxury goods dipped – but government orders for warm military knitwear skyrocketed. Peter Scott’s factories devoted much of their capacity to the war effort, knitting thousands of woollen jerseys, undershirts, socks and gloves for British soldiers in the trenches. It is estimated that during the First World War, a majority of the company’s output (as much as 80%) was commissioned by the government for the Services. Supplying the troops became a patriotic duty that the Hawick workers took great pride in.
The company’s reputation for quality even led to some historic adventures. In 1914, Peter Scott & Co. supplied expedition-grade knitwear to Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ill-fated Antarctic voyage. The explorers’ need for exceptionally warm, durable clothing was a testament to the excellence of Hawick’s woollens. Such high-profile use only added to the lore of the Peter Scott brand.
Through these years, Peter Scott himself was not only an industrialist but also a community leader. He chaired the Scottish Hosiery Association and served as President of the Hawick Hosiery Manufacturers’ Association, advocating for the industry’s interests. Within Hawick, he earned respect as a generous employer and proud “Teri” (local – from Hawick’s slogan “Teribus”). Tragically, Peter Scott did not live to see the full span of his company’s success; he died suddenly in 1925 while on holiday in France. His funeral in Hawick was one of the largest the town had ever seen, a measure of the esteem in which he was held. By then, however, he had built a thriving enterprise that would carry on under family and local management for decades to come.
Between the Wars: Steady Progress and Adaptation
After the First World War, the Peter Scott mill navigated the interwar period with resilience. The 1920s brought a short-lived economic boom and an evolution in fashion. The company continued to refine its offerings, focusing increasingly on outerwear styles as traditional woollen underwear gradually fell out of favour. The introduction of fully fashioned knitwear techniques – where panels are shaped on the knitting machine to minimize cutting and seams – started to influence production in these years. This method produced more elegantly fitting jumpers and cardigans, appealing to a style-conscious public.
The Buccleuch Street headquarters saw further improvements. By 1923, a large west extension (designed by local architect J.P. Alison) was added, completing the footprint of the factory complex. The sprawling mill now included offices, knitting floors, yarn stores, dyeing and washing rooms, and finishing departments, all buzzing with activity. The distinctive octagonal chimney vented the steam and fumes from the boiler house, a constant plume signalling that Hawick’s knitters were hard at work.
Despite the challenges of the Great Depression in the 1930s, Peter Scott & Co. managed to sustain operations. Knitwear remained a staple industry in the Borders, and there was always some demand for quality Scottish garments, even in lean times. The company likely tightened its belt during those years but survived without the catastrophic layoffs seen in heavier industries. By maintaining high standards and loyal customer relationships, the mill came through the 1930s prepared for the next tumultuous era – the Second World War.
The Second World War and the Home Front Effort (1939–1945)
When the Second World War erupted in 1939, Peter Scott’s Hawick mill once again rallied to support the nation. Much as in the previous war, the factory’s output pivoted to military needs. The Buccleuch Street plant was largely given over to producing thick woollen pullovers, jerseys, and other knitwear for the armed forces. Roughly two-thirds of production during the early 1940s went towards uniforms and equipment for British troops enduring harsh conditions in Europe and beyond.
The war altered the workforce dynamics at the mill. Many male employees were in “reserved occupations” – essential civilian jobs – which meant skilled male knitting-machine technicians and mechanics were exempt from conscription to keep factories running. Women also played a crucial role, both as experienced hosiery workers and by stepping into roles left vacant by men who did enlist. Even so, a number of Peter Scott’s young women workers answered the call to aid the war effort outside the mill – some volunteered for service in the Auxiliary Territorial Service or nursing, while others took higher-paying jobs in munitions factories to support wartime production. Hawick’s local newspaper in 1942 proudly noted that the town had exceeded its target for women signing up to munitions work, reflecting the patriotic spirit of the community.
To cope with labour shortages, the company had to adapt. The Commercial Road facility was temporarily repurposed as a billet (barracks) for soldiers stationed in Hawick during the war. At the main mill, management introduced split shifts and recruited older teenagers to keep production going. The stresses were real – meeting military contracts under tight rationing of materials and labour required ingenuity. But through the commitment of those who remained, Peter Scott & Co. continued to deliver quality knitwear to Britain’s fighting forces.
The war years also spurred the firm to consider worker welfare and efficiency improvements. In 1945, as the conflict ended, Peter Scott’s opened an on-site canteen at the Buccleuch Street factory, providing hot meals and a sense of community for the staff. This investment paid tribute to the workforce’s hard work through difficult times. With peace came the hope of a return to normal business and a chance to modernise operations further.
Post-War Boom and Diversification (1940s–1960s)
The post-1945 era proved to be a golden age for Peter Scott’s knitwear mill. Demand for quality British knitwear surged as civilian markets revived domestically and abroad. Hawick, often cited as the “cashmere capital of the world,” was perfectly poised to ride this wave. The Borders mills had begun using finer luxury fibres like cashmere (from Himalayan goat hair) and superfine lambswool in the late 19th century, and after the war these materials became central to high-end fashion knitwear. Peter Scott & Co. built a reputation for luxury sweaters and cardigans, including pure cashmere twinsets and soft merino wool pullovers that were coveted by shoppers from London to New York.
One key change in this period was the shift away from underwear manufacturing. Sales of traditional woollen vests and long johns steadily declined as lighter, cheaper undergarments (and the spread of central heating in homes) became common. Peter Scott responded by focusing entirely on outerwear by the early 1960s – a strategic move that paid off. The company’s designers and knitters poured their expertise into stylish menswear and womenswear: classic crew-neck and V-neck jumpers, golfing sweaters (a nod to Scotland’s sporting heritage), cosy cardigans, and fashion-forward knit dresses, all bearing the Peter Scott label.
Technologically, the post-war decades saw the full adoption of fully fashioned knitting in Peter Scott’s production. By 1984, the company proudly noted that every garment it made was fully fashioned – meaning each piece was knitted to shape rather than cut from cloth – ensuring superior fit and finish. This commitment to quality distinguished the brand in the marketplace. A Peter Scott sweater was known to be meticulously crafted, with linked seams and hand-finished details, embodying the best of Hawick’s textile craftsmanship.
The boom years also saw the company extending its geographic footprint and grappling with labour needs. In the 1950s, the original satellite mill at Wilton Path was closed (in 1954) as operations consolidated and modernised in Hawick. However, in 1961 the company opened a new branch factory in Kelso, perhaps to tap into a wider labour pool in the Borders. Another small plant was launched in 1974 in Chirnside, Berwickshire, although that one was sold off by 1981. These ventures show the company’s attempts to increase capacity and remain competitive by expanding into other communities.
At its Hawick headquarters, the workforce remained substantial but the nature of work was evolving. Introduction of faster automated machines boosted output per worker, so the overall headcount gradually declined from its pre-war heights. Even so, Peter Scott & Co. – like all Hawick knitwear firms – continually needed skilled hands. A 1967 newspaper quipped that “Hawick was a woman’s town” due to the constant demand for female labour in the knitwear mills. Indeed, in the mid-20th century, between 270 and 300 women were employed across Peter Scott’s three sites (Buccleuch Street, Commercial Road and the Kelso branch). Women filled roles such as yarn winding, machine knitting, linking (stitching together knitted panels), inspecting, and packing – jobs requiring patience and dexterity.
To attract and retain these valuable workers, the company instituted progressive policies. Perhaps the most ahead-of-its-time initiative was the factory nursery opened in 1948 for employees’ children. Decades before workplace crèches were common, Peter Scott provided on-site childcare for the young sons and daughters of its mostly female workforce, enabling mothers to continue working skilled jobs. The nursery operated for about ten years, into the late 1950s, and was fondly remembered in the community. Such efforts fostered employee loyalty and underscored the mill’s role in Hawick’s social fabric.
The prosperity of the 1950s and 1960s was evident not just in payrolls but in prestige. On the firm’s 100th anniversary in 1978, a royal visit was arranged to mark the occasion. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip toured the Buccleuch Street mill during its centenary celebrations, honouring the company’s contributions to British industry. For the workers and management, this was a proud moment – the Crown recognising a century of Hawick skill and excellence encapsulated by the name Peter Scott.
By the late 1960s, Hawick reportedly boasted one of the highest per-capita incomes of any town in the UK, thanks largely to the thriving textile mills. Peter Scott & Co., with its strong export business, was a key part of that success. The company had sales agents and distribution in Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. Whether it was a stylish cashmere cardigan in a Tokyo boutique or a durable golfing sweater on a Canadian fairway, Peter Scott garments carried the heritage of the Scottish Borders to all corners of the globe.
Changing Fortunes in the Late 20th Century (1970s–1990s)
As the decades wore on, the broader textile industry began to face headwinds. The late 1970s and 1980s brought rapid globalisation and with it increased competition from low-cost producers abroad. High-quality Scottish knitwear remained in demand, but cheaper mass-produced alternatives flooded the market for basic garments. Peter Scott’s mill, like its fellow Hawick firms, had to adjust to a changing economic climate.
During the 1970s, the company’s strategy emphasised its heritage and luxury niche. While some competitors attempted to cut costs by reducing quality or outsourcing, Peter Scott & Co. largely stuck to doing what it did best in Hawick: making premium knitwear from fine yarns. The brand’s longevity itself became a selling point – a 100-year-old company from the birthplace of cashmere knitwear. Loyal customers and upscale retailers continued to order Peter Scott sweaters, but profit margins grew thinner.
Throughout the 1980s, the company invested in more modern equipment to boost efficiency while maintaining standards. Computerised flat-bed knitting machines (eventually including advanced Shima Seiki models from Japan) were brought in to produce intricate patterns and to increase production speed. These allowed the mill to offer contemporary designs and even quicker turnaround for fashion collections. The skilled technicians who programmed and ran these machines were carrying on the Hawick tradition with 20th-century tools.
One notable avenue the brand explored was golf and leisure wear. With Scotland’s deep ties to golf, Peter Scott leveraged its knitwear expertise to cater to golfers and country-club fashion. The classic Argyle-patterned golf sweater, for instance, became a staple for the brand. In 2008, in a bid to raise its profile, Peter Scott & Co. teamed up with champion golfer Colin Montgomerie to design a signature range of golf knitwear. This collaboration sought to marry the company’s reputation for quality with Montgomerie’s sporting fame, appealing to golf enthusiasts worldwide. The initiative generated buzz and fresh interest in the venerable Hawick name.
Despite adaptation efforts, the late 20th century was not without setbacks. Changing consumer habits and recessions (like the early 1980s downturn) affected orders. Some long-standing markets shrank, and the cost of raw cashmere soared with global demand. The company also had to weather the decline of other local mills that had provided a supportive network. Still, into the 1990s, Peter Scott & Co. persevered as an independent, locally-owned firm. Its workforce, while smaller than mid-century, remained a significant presence in Hawick. Many employees were by now second- or third-generation “mill folk,” proud to carry on the craft their parents and grandparents had practiced at Peter Scott’s or other mills.
By the turn of the millennium, however, cracks were showing in the business model. Maintaining an ageing Victorian mill and a sizeable workforce in Britain was expensive. Foreign competitors, not to mention evolving fashion trends, put pressure on the company’s finances. As the 2000s began, the question loomed: how could Peter Scott’s mill continue to operate in the 21st century and remain competitive?
Crisis and Rescue (2000s–2010)
The early 2000s brought matters to a head for Peter Scott & Co. While the brand still stood for excellence, the company’s financial performance was strained. The Great Recession of 2008 dealt a blow to luxury spending, and even loyal customers were tightening their belts. By 2010, after 132 years in business, the venerable Hawick mill was facing the unthinkable – potential closure due to insolvency.
In mid-2010, Peter Scott & Co. entered administration (the UK equivalent of bankruptcy protection). This development sent shockwaves through Hawick. Only a few years earlier, the mill had celebrated its centenary with optimism; now it was on the brink of shutting its doors, following a path tragically already taken by other famous Borders knitwear names. (Hawick Knitwear, another major local producer, would close in 2016, and Pringle had shut its Hawick factory in 2008.) The community braced for difficult news.
Fortunately, a lifeline emerged that summer. Gloverall plc, a Northampton-based apparel company best known for its classic duffle coats, agreed to acquire Peter Scott & Co. and keep it operating. Gloverall saw value in the Scottish brand’s prestige and was willing to invest to turn it around. The deal, concluded in July 2010, came as a great relief to the town. However, this rescue came at a price: the workforce had to be drastically reduced to cut costs. The staff count reportedly fell from around 140 employees to just about 20 core workers in the immediate aftermath of the takeover. It was a painful downsizing, but one deemed necessary to give the mill a chance of survival.
Under Gloverall’s stewardship, a plan was set in motion to rebuild the Peter Scott brand and gradually scale up production again. The strategy focused on high-end markets and quicker fashion cycles. The company invested in new machineryand brought back some of the skilled operators who had been let go. Over the next couple of years, the workforce slowly grew once more, reaching about 100 employees by 2013. There were signs of recovery: orders picked up, particularly for the spring/summer collections, and the production lines at Buccleuch Street hummed with renewed purpose. Local politicians and industry observers hailed the turnaround, noting that it demonstrated confidence in both the brand’s future and the abilities of Hawick’s textile artisans.
The Final Years and Closure (2010s)
Despite the hopeful rebound in the early 2010s, the long-term challenges remained formidable. By the middle of the decade, it became clear that even with a leaner operation, Peter Scott’s mill was struggling to achieve sustainable profitability. The luxury fashion market had become even more competitive, and costs in Scotland were high. Gloverall’s restructuring efforts, while initially promising, ultimately did not yield the necessary lasting turnaround in the business’s fortunes.
In 2016 came the sad announcement that Peter Scott & Co. would cease knitwear production in Hawick. After a remarkable 138-year run, the mill was to close its doors for good. The final day of manufacturing was set for Sunday, 28 August 2016. Around 50 remaining employees were made redundant, joining the many others who had lost jobs in prior cutbacks. For Hawick, this news was another heavy blow – coming on the heels of the closure of Hawick Knitwear only months earlier – and marked the end of an era.
Reactions in the town ranged from sorrow to frustration. Generations of families had worked at “Pesco’s,” and its absence left a void on Buccleuch Street and in the community’s heart. Local leaders lamented the loss of a world-famous Hawick brand and, more importantly, the loss of yet more skilled jobs. Tributes were paid to the Peter Scott workforce’s craftsmanship and dedication; many had given decades of service and continued producing garments of the finest quality right up to the end. There was also concern for Hawick’s future – how to preserve its textile heritage and create new opportunities for employment in a changing economy.
As the machinery fell silent, attention turned to what would become of the historic mill site. The Buccleuch Street factory – with its iconic facade and tall chimney – was recognised as part of Hawick’s architectural and industrial heritage. (It had even been designated a Category C listed building in 2008, acknowledging its local importance.) With production halted, developers soon proposed to convert the old mill into luxury apartments. The idea was to retain the exterior character of the building while repurposing the interior for housing, thus giving the 19th-century structure a new lease of life. By the late 2010s, construction work was underway to transform the former factory into modern flats. In this way, the physical shell of Peter Scott’s mill would remain, albeit filled with residents instead of knitting machines – a poignant symbol of Hawick’s evolution.
Legacy and Impact on Hawick and the Scottish Borders
The legacy of Peter Scott’s knitwear mill is deeply woven into the fabric of Hawick and the Scottish Borders. For nearly 140 years, the company was not only a business but a community institution. Its influence can be seen and felt in multiple dimensions:
Economic Legacy: The mill provided livelihoods for generations of Borderers. At its height, hundreds of locals – predominantly women – earned their income within its walls. This gainful employment contributed to Hawick’s prosperity in the 20th century, supporting families and local commerce. The concentration of skilled jobs led Hawick to enjoy a level of prosperity far beyond what might be expected for a town of its size. Even after its closure, the skills and expertise cultivated at Peter Scott did not vanish – many former employees transferred to other textile firms (such as Johnstons of Elgin’s Hawick operations or Barrie Knitwear) or helped smaller craft producers in the area, thereby continuing the town’s textile tradition.
Social and Community Impact: Life in Hawick for many decades revolved around the rhythm of the knitting mills. Peter Scott & Co., as one of the “big three” firms such as Pringle of Scotland and Lyle & Scott, played a part in shaping community identity. The term “Pesco’s” became a local shorthand not just for the factory, but for a proud chapter of Hawick’s story. Workers from the mill formed a tight-knit community (quite literally), often with multiple members of the same family employed there over time. The company’s support for employees – exemplified by the 1940s nursery and the wartime canteen – demonstrated a paternalistic care that endeared it to its staff.
The predominance of women in the workforce had broader social implications too. Earning their own wages at Peter Scott’s gave many Hawick women a degree of independence and respect in an era when that was not always the norm. They developed strong camaraderie; even outside work, colleagues from the mill would socialise together, support local causes, and uphold traditions like the annual Common Riding festival. When the mill closed, it was not just the loss of jobs that hurt, but also the disbanding of a community of co-workers who had shared years – often lifetimes – of experiences together.
Cultural and Fashion Influence: Peter Scott’s mill helped establish the Scottish Borders as a byword for luxury knitwear. Alongside other Hawick manufacturers, it cemented the town’s reputation globally. The phrase “made in Hawick” came to signify impeccable craftsmanship – a selling point that fashion houses and discerning consumers respected. The company’s garments, whether classic cashmere sweaters or sporty Argyle jumpers, became part of the sartorial landscape in Britain and beyond. They were worn by everyone from local townsfolk to international celebrities and even royalty. (It is quite possible that some of the Queen’s own cardigans over the years came from Hawick’s looms.)
Moreover, the mill maintained traditional techniques even as it innovated, thereby preserving skills that might have otherwise been lost. Methods like hand-linking and careful wool finishing, passed down through apprenticeships at Peter Scott, are still practiced in Hawick today largely because firms like this kept them alive. In essence, the company was a guardian of a particular art of making clothing – an art that combines machine precision with hand-crafted quality.
Heritage Preservation: Although manufacturing has ended, efforts have been made to preserve Peter Scott’s heritage. Artefacts such as old pattern books, vintage sweaters, and even personnel ledgers from the mill have found their way into local museums and archives. The Borders Textile Towerhouse museum in Hawick, for example, features exhibits on the town’s knitwear heyday and highlights contributions of companies like Peter Scott & Co. Researchers from projects like Fleece to Fashion have transcribed company records and collected oral histories, ensuring that the stories of the mill and its people are not forgotten by future generations.
Today, if you walk along Buccleuch Street, you can still see the grand façade of the Peter Scott mill – now quiet, repurposed, but standing as a monument to the enterprise and skill that once thrived inside. The octagonal chimney still points to the sky, a silent reminder of the steam that powered Hawick’s economic engine. The building’s new life as housing ensures that this piece of living history remains part of the townscape. And in the broader context of the Scottish Borders, the spirit of Peter Scott’s mill endures wherever fine knitwear is made.
Hawick’s knitwear industry has proven resilient by evolving rather than vanishing. Smaller boutique manufacturers and internationally backed companies (like Chanel-owned Barrie) continue to produce luxury knitwear in the town, carrying on the legacy of quality. They do so standing on the shoulders of giants – and Peter Scott was indisputably one of those giants.
