Meet the Hearach – the Isle of Harris tea

You’ve heard of the Isle of Harris, I’m sure. And maybe you’ve heard of a Harris tea called Hearach. But what is a Hearach, you ask?

A Hearach is a person from the Isle of Harris – Na Hearadh in Gaelic. So a Hearach is from Na Hearadh. The plural of Hearach is Hearaich.

Isle of Harris is a place of stunning natural beauty. It has a rugged coastline, wild landscapes and Hebridean spirit in the form of its own gin! So it’s easy to see why this island is such a special place. It is very popular with tourists who flock to see the view which is represented on the Harris tea packaging.

Harris is more than its views. It is full of tradition, music and talent – not to mention having a strong crofting community.

The woman spinning who is also on our packaging, represents the weavers in the Harris Tweed industry. She is a Hearach!

Harris Tweed is a type of cloth that is traditionally handwoven in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Pure virgin wool that has been dyed and spun into yarn in the islands is what makes Harris Tweed. It is a hard-wearing cloth. It is subject to its own act of Parliament. Because of that, weavers only weave in the Outer Hebrides!

As a result of this rich history, our tea is complex and well-rounded – weaving flavours just like the cloth and the community which inspired it.

Whilst we wait for the kettle to boil, here are a few little known facts about the beautiful Isle of Harris to whet your whistle.

13 facts about the Isle of Harris

1. St Clement’s Church in Rodel, South Harris, has a minature heart and a flower built into the walls beside the gate.
2. Harris and Lewis are different islands. Confuse them at your peril.
3. Harris has a population of around 1,600.
4. Taransay, an island off the West Coast of Harris was the home of the BBC TV programme Castaway 2000, which launched Ben Fogle to fame in the early 2000s.
5. Northton is in South Harris.
6. The parish of Harris includes St Kilda, an uninhabited archipelago west-northwest of North Uist, and the uninhabited Rockall, west of North Uist. Rockall has its very own Twitter account!
7. The film the Rocket Post was based on a true story about the German inventor Gerhard Zucker who tried to provide a postal service to the island of Scarp, just off Harris, by means of rocket mail.
8. Harris is the home of Harris Tweed, a cloth protected by its own Act of Parliament.
9. Our Hearach Breakfast Tea is inspired by the subtle complexity of the tweed, and the landscape which inspires it.
10. The main town in Harris is Tarbert. It is built on an ithsmus.
11. Berneray, which is joined to North Uist by a causeway, is technically part of Harris.
12. The Hearaich like their tea strong.
13. Midges are almost as bad in Harris as they are in Skye, so we recommend a midge net!

Harris Tea

The Isle of Harris is synonymous with Harris Tweed, and so like the cloth, the Hearach Breakfast Tea combines beautiful ingredients to produce a perfect blend.

The Hearach tea is well rounded and full bodied with smokey overtones. It has hints of campervans and a good yarn.

If you fancy a wee taste of Harris, the tea is available in packets of 10 or 20, and in tins as well!