IT SANK in a violent storm taking its precious cargo of silk, muslin and calico to the bottom of the North Sea. Now, 250 years on, the wreck of the Svecia is providing an unexpected bounty to the islanders of North Ronaldsay, writes Karin Goodwin.

While the sumptuous textiles may be long gone, a rare dyewood, used to colour the precious fabrics, has been recovered from the wreck and is being used to produce a unique line of designer knitwear.

The red sandalwood has lain on the ocean floor since the East India Company cargo ship bound for Gothenberg was caught in a gale off the island in 1740 and sank with the loss of 24 men.

With the help of international experts on dye and historical records, islanders have created a range of colours for their traditional knitwear made from the wool of the famous North Ronaldsay sheep, which live on a diet of seaweed.

Sample yarns have been created by islanders, who expect prices for their range of clothing to start at £100.

“The dye is not soluble in water so of course it has been preserved for all of these years. It is a natural dye and produces beautiful colours,” said Rex Cowan, a textile historian who has made diving trips to survey the wreck and retrieve the dyewood.

Cowan sent shavings of the dark wood to Margaret Tattersfield, a leading English dyer. With the help of historical records, she extracted the dye and created recipes for a range of colours from rusty oranges, to reds, purples and browns.

Peter Donnelly, whose wife Jane runs A Yarn from North Ronaldsay, a local spinning company, said he had already made up samples and hoped to put the garments on the market in the near future.

“It seemed like a great way of tying in the unique elements of the island — firstly the sheep, which have been here for thousands of years, and then the Svecia shipwreck, which is also part of the island’s history,” he said.

The island, which has only 60 inhabitants, will feature next week on the BBC2’s Restoration Village series, which sets out to help to rebuild rural communities.

The North Ronaldsay trust hopes to restore the grade A Dennis Head Old Beacon lighthouse, Scotland’s oldest, with the help of the programme, which invites viewers to vote for the most deserving project.

Abandoned in 1809, it was built in response to the Svecia disaster by Thomas Smith, who was assisted by Robert Stevenson, founder of the famous lighthouse family and grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson.

Other Scottish buildings that will be put to the public vote this year include the 16th- century Cromarty East church, and the Greenlaw town hall in Berwickshire, an A-listed Greek Revival building which was built in 1829.

Andrea Miller, executive producer of Restoration Village, said: “Rural communities are under a great deal of pressure generally and through Restoration Village we are trying to give a lifeline to local communities by highlighting these architectural gems they have in their midst.”

Times Recommends

• Sarah Brown says 'no thanks' to veal at G8 - twice
• Stockton-on-Tees is obesity capital of Britain
• Stores blame poor sales on Murray factor