A closed Harris Tweed mill will not re-open until next year, according to its controversial owner.

However,  Brian Haggas has confirmed that there are proposals to introduce a new lightweight tweed and to launch a fresh marketing push.

But what was a major Lewis employer is only a shadow of its former self and only a handful of workers will be required when the former Mackenzie's mill in Stornoway starts producing again after a 12 month closure.

Until recently the plant, now run as Harris Tweed Scotland, was the country's biggest manufacturer of the iconic Harris Tweed and wielded an effective monopoly in the industry.

It had supported jobs for around 200 people between mill staff and home based weavers.

But now a massive stockpile of over 70,000 jackets which have languished in storage since last winter desperately need shifting.

The back-log resulted in the shock closure in March of the factory - the first time in about 100 years of the established textile industry that Stornoway was without a working tweed mill.

Half the factory site has now been sold with manufacturing focused on the Cannery Road site known as Sticky's mill.

Mr Haggas said: "We are still in business. We expect to re-open the mill next year, hopefully in the Spring.

"We have excellent new machinery which is working very well.

"This autumn we have lots of new plans and are going to introduce a light weight jacket in January."

Soaring temperatures in key markets are hampering efforts to sell the heavy cloth but Mr Haggas firmly believes that ditching trade customers which were loyal for decades in favour of his niche jacket market will succeed when the weather - and global economic conditions - improve.

The firm will be exhibiting its jackets at fashion shows in New York, Italy and in Europe.