TEXTILES manufacturer Lochcarron of Scotland has invested in new machinery to increase production and target new markets after securing a £300,000 funding package.

The Selkirk business, best known for its tartan items including the official design for the Ryder Cup in Scotland last year, has replaced items which were more than three decades old with a modern warp mill.

That is said to operate four times faster as well as being able to produce more complex patterns and be used with finer materials including types of cashmere.

Lochcarron, which employs more than 100 people and can trace its roots back to 1859, is said to supply a number of upmarket clothing designers with fabrics although confidentiality agreements mean it cannot name them.

Barrie Knitwear in Hawick is owned by Chanel while Dior is another famous fashion brand known to favour Scottish made cloth.

Cameron Barr, head of finance at Lochcarron, said: "Some of the machinery we were using was over 30 years old so investing in new technology is going to speed up production and help us develop our product range.

"Everybody knows us a tartan manufacturer but we also work with some very high end design houses.

"Our new equipment is able to work with a wider range of quality cashmeres meaning that we can now increase the work we do in the luxury market place."

The funding for the mill was provided by Clydesdale Bank.

Stuart Anderson from the bank said: "It's a privilege to work in partnership with such a well established and important Scottish brand. Lochcarron is one of the biggest producers of tartan in the world and it has strong plans to develop and grow its product range."