Johnstons of Elgin is a family-owned Scottish textile maker founded in 1797 by Alexander Johnston in Elgin, Moray. It is unusual in controlling the whole process in-house: a weaving and spinning mill in Elgin and a knitwear mill in Hawick take raw cashmere through dehairing, dyeing, spinning, knitting and finishing. Its women's cashmere jumpers and cardigans are priced roughly £550–£950.
Key facts
- Founded 1797 in Elgin by Alexander Johnston; still privately held by the founding family's successors
- Operates a weaving mill in Elgin and a knitting mill in Hawick — Scotland's only vertical cashmere mill
- Began working with merino in 1847, vicuña in 1849 and cashmere in 1851
- Holds three royal warrants and has been B Corp certified since 2023
Fibres and construction
Johnstons of Elgin works principally in Cashmere, Merino wool, Wool, lambswool & Shetland, Vicuña. Construction and techniques associated with the house include fully-fashioned, Aran and intarsia. It is based in Scotland, a country that is the historic centre of luxury cashmere knitting.
How to judge Johnstons of Elgin quality
- For cashmere pieces, look for a stated micron count or grade, 2-ply yarn for sweaters, and a dense knit with no daylight through plain areas. See the cashmere grading guide.
- Merino quality depends on micron (extra-fine is under 18.5 µm) and on worsted spinning; fine-gauge pieces (21–30 gg) are a technical speciality worth paying for.
- Genuine vicuña carries CITES-compliant labelling identifying origin; it is usually undyed and priced in the thousands.
- Lambswool and Shetland are coarser than cashmere by design; judge them on density, recovery when stretched, and the mill's finishing rather than on softness in the shop.
- This house knits fully-fashioned: check for fashioning marks along the armhole and flat, linked seams inside — the signatures of shaped, stitch-by-stitch construction.
Similar houses
Johnstons of Elgin: frequently asked questions
Where is Johnstons of Elgin knitwear made?
Johnstons of Elgin is based in Elgin & Hawick, Scotland. Founded 1797 in Elgin by Alexander Johnston; still privately held by the founding family's successors.
What is Johnstons of Elgin known for?
Johnstons of Elgin is known for scotland's only vertically integrated cashmere mill, spinning and knitting its own fibre since 1797. Its principal fibres are Cashmere, Merino wool, Wool, lambswool & Shetland and Vicuña.
Is Johnstons of Elgin a luxury brand?
Johnstons of Elgin sits in the luxury tier of this index (roughly $400–$1,000 for a sweater). Its construction methods include fully-fashioned, Aran and intarsia. It is listed here on the basis of fibre quality, construction and provenance rather than price alone.
How much does Johnstons of Elgin knitwear cost?
Johnstons of Elgin is roughly $400–$1,000 for a sweater at the time of writing. Prices vary by fibre and style.
Sources
- https://johnstonsofelgin.com/
- https://johnstonsofelgin.com/collections/womens-knitwear
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnstons_of_Elgin
Facts verified against the sources above on 16 September 2026. Prices are indicative and change; check the house's own site.