Why future is bright for historic Scottish leather firm that upholstered Concorde and James Bond’s favourite car

As it heads into 2025, Scottish Leather Group is set to deliver new projects for international customers including British Airways and electric car brand Polestar. Known for delivering products across the automotive, aviation, mass transit and luxury goods sectors, the group’s businesses - Bridge of Weir Leather, Lang and Muirhead - have played pivotal roles in crafting leather for historic and cutting-edge projects for more than a century.

Bridge of Weir Leather’s journey began in 1911 with the interiors of the UK-built Ford Model T. Today, it continues this legacy by supplying leather for the Ford GT and Lincoln, the US car-maker’s luxury brand. Before focusing solely on the automotive sector, Bridge of Weir’s leather was used for the seats of Concorde. These seats can still be admired at the National Museum of Flight’s Concorde in East Lothian.

Bridge of Weir has been supplying leather to Aston Martin since the 1960s and today is the exclusive leather supplier for the sports car manufacturer’s interiors, including those that grace James Bond’s iconic vehicles. Meanwhile, Muirhead leather has enhanced the interiors of Edinburgh’s trams since they launched a decade ago.

As the group continues to expand its global footprint, exporting almost three-quarters of its leather overseas, chief executive Nicholas Muirhead stressed that innovation and sustainability would be key to the future success of the business.

He said: “We are proud to be a true Scottish success story, exporting our sustainable, natural leathers worldwide and continuing Scotland’s global reputation for innovation. Since we were founded, we have been at the forefront of tanning technology and design, creating the finest, softest leathers for exceptional brands.

“As we honour our past, we are excited to shape the future of leather with our partners who share our values,” Muirhead added.

Scottish Leather Group itself was set up in 1965 and now encompasses the three specialist businesses - Bridge of Weir, Lang and Muirhead. It has manufacturing facilities located in Scotland, China and Mexico.

The group said that Muirhead, which can trace its roots back to 1840, has been working closely with British Airways, supplying luxury leather for the airline’s new short-haul seats on the latest Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft. Muirhead leather will also feature in the flag carrier’s brand-new first class cabin, as part of its A380 retrofit plans expected to take to the skies in mid-2026. BA is said to have worked alongside expert designers and world-class manufacturers, “championing the best of British craftmanship”.

Other global customers supplied by Bridge of Weir Leather include car-makers Lotus and McLaren, while Muirhead supplies Irish Rail, Qatar Airlines and Alaska Airlines. Collaborations with The Macallan, including The Red Collection and Horizon, created in collaboration with Bentley Motors, have showcased Bridge of Weir’s craftsmanship in luxury goods, “blending whisky heritage with sustainable leather artistry”.

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