For generations, that little orb has represented tradition, craftsmanship and quality. Not anything can call itself Harris Tweed, of course. No, it has to be hand-woven by the islanders of Harris, Lewis, Uist and Barra, and must be made from pure virgin wool that has been dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides. It’s all so wonderfully romantic.

The pleated skirts my grandmother wore to church on Sundays were made of Harris Tweed, as was the sports jacket my late father received for his 21st birthday in 1960. Harris Tweed was reassuringly expensive. And it was reassuringly sensible. But it certainly wasn’t cool.

That latter point might not have mattered, of course, if sales had kept up. They didn’t, and just six years ago the brand found itself in real trouble, with production falling to an all-time low. It looked like the writing might be on the wall for yet another of Scotland’s traditional industries.

But then something rather unexpected happened. Harris Tweed became hip. Fashion houses such as Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and Vivienne Westwood started to use the fabric in their collections. This dripped down to the high street, particularly in the form of accessories, and now it seems we can’t get enough of the stuff.

The extent of the fabric’s extraordinary reach and popularity really sunk in while I was living in Berlin last year. The city’s most uber-cool design warehouses in the trendiest quarters were filled with it: Harris Tweed iPad and laptop covers, limited edition Nike Trainers, designer handbags and hipster lampshades were very much the in-thing - and doing a roaring trade among the hipsters. Germans like good quality products, of course, the owner of one store explained; Harris Tweed - indeed all things Scottish - were just so, well, cool.

Speak to people in the Western Isles and the story is the same. Their websites can’t keep up with the global demand, particularly from the US and Japan. And with big name UK department stores now selling products such as Harris Tweed sofas and curtains, weavers are struggling to produce enough.

With this in mind good on Western Isles Council, which has just announced it is to invest more than £100,000 in new looms. Production has already more than trebled over the last six years, with around 1.5 million metres of the stuff due to be woven this year, on 150 looms. But this is a welcome recognition that more expansion is possible.

The latest funding will provide six new looms, and another six are apparently on order, meaning considerable extra capacity to answer that demand for sofas, cushions, trainers and mobile phone covers from buyers around the world.

It’s perhaps only when you are in the Western Isles that your senses really recognise the purples, slate greys, oranges, greens, browns and blues used to make the patterns that people around the world love so much. These hues are all around you and at their most vibrant and dramatic on these windswept islands out in the Atlantic.

And it’s only when you are on the islands that you realise just how crucial this industry is to the economy and cultural identity of this part of Scotland. Weaving is still a cottage industry, employing around 380 people, with a further 12 jobs in the offing thanks to the new funding. That may not sound like much, but in island terms it is significant. The island economy has always been a fragile thing, perhaps never more so than in these times of brutal, ruthless global capitalism where jobs and industries are eaten up and spat out, where skills and production are simply moved somewhere cheaper.

The nature of Harris Tweed means that can’t happen, of course - the fabric is protected by law and cannot be made anywhere else. What a wonderful opportunity for this product and the people who make it. And how gratifying that a local authority sees the sense in supporting a local product while it is having its moment on a global stage. If Harris Tweed plays its cards right now, it will have a strong long-term global market in place and demanding its quality and craftsmanship for many years to come, long after the fashionistas have left town and moved on to something else.

The success of products like Harris Tweed and Scotch whisky show that quality, provenance and craftsmanship do still count, perhaps more so now than ever before. People are willing to pay for it, and they are willing to shop globally to find it.

With this in mind we should be looking to raise the profile of other niche skills and products from local communities around Scotland. Maybe with a bit of financial support and some clever marketing in this digital age they too could find the global reach of Islay malt or Harris Tweed? Right, get your thinking caps on... Is it too late for tablet and macaroon?