FASHION designer Jacqueline Farrell has gone a long way to end up right back where she started.

The textiles expert grew up near Dumfries House in Cumnock, Ayrshire, and began her career with a boost from The Princes Trust.

Now, 26 years on from that support, she's been appointed head of education at Dumfries House, which is owned by Prince Charles.

She said: "I was born in Cumnock and left home to go to the Glasgow School of Art but my family is still in Cumnock so I have seen the impact that Dumfries House has had on that community in the 11 years since the Prince began developing his vision for the estate.

"You can see the difference it is making to local people, it’s changing perceptions of the area."

Jacqueline, whose official title is director of education at The Prince’s Foundation, graduated from art school and then worked in the textile industry in the Borders.

She then returned to Glasgow to work for Coats Viyella, the British clothing, furnishing and threads group, now Coats Group.

In 1992 she started her own business with help from the Princes Trust - and even sold a waistcoat to Prince Charles.

Jacqueline said: "I developed the concept for my business and found my market thanks to the help from the Princes Trust, so I know how valuable support can be - I couldn't have grown my business otherwise.

"In my second year of business I sold Prince Charles a waistcoat and had press coverage in the UK, Japan and America, which obviously had a real impact on my business too."

In 1994, the now 51-year-old joined Glasgow Clyde College and worked part time as a teacher and part time on her business.

She quickly rose through the ranks to be senior lecturer and then head of curriculum at the college before becoming head of Glasgow Clyde College’s renowned School of Fashion and Textiles.

Jacqueline was recruited for the position after spending five years successfully leading the estate’s Future Textiles programme alongside her college role.

In joining Dumfries House, her role is now to develop the educational and training programmes on the Ayrshire estate.

Programmes so far cover innovative health and wellbeing projects in conjunction with the NHS, sustainable farming, engineering, horticulture, music, dance and drama, as well as community events such as tea dances and a sewing bee.

Dumfries House is now the second-largest employer in East Ayrshire with more than 200 full-time and part-time staff across the house, estate and education and training programmes.

She said: "It has been a steep learning curve since arriving here and I've been learning about so many different things that happen here: I never knew how long it took to repair a clock or the difference between tree honey and flower honey or how to build a vacuum cleaner from small component parts.

"I want the estate to offer as many different things as it can, let people know what is possible.

"We are the first place in Scotland to offer Level One Royal Horticultural, for example."

Jacqueline feels passionately that Scotland's textile industry is one of the country's hidden strengths - and wants more young people to know that it is a career option.

One of the first major projects she has directed is the launch of the LVMH Textile Training Centre.

Located inside the old sawmill at Dumfries House, the centre offers adults with little or no qualifications the chance to spend 12 weeks learning how to manufacture products such as clothing, accessories and household goods.

Participants receive a recognised qualification and will have the skills and experience needed to apply for jobs in mills across Scotland.

The project has attracted praise and ongoing support from industry leaders, including Marks and Spencer, Tammy and Christopher Kane, Paul Smith, John Lewis Partnership, Burberry and The Great British Sewing Bee’s Patrick Grant.

Jacqueline said: "The industry would say there are designers but no one wants to be weaver, machinist or cutter.

"Some 50 per cent of the workforce is over 45 and young people don’t have anyone talking to them about the industry.

"We have an amazing, beautiful textile industry that cares about people but the message isn’t getting out there for potential careers or for the industry itself.

"People don’t know they are wearing Scottish textiles. Burberry, Louis Vuitton and Prada use Scottish textiles, Chanel has a facility in the Borders.

"You can get a good, secure job with career progression and as you weave you are making something people will love."

Built for the 5th Earl of Dumfries, Dumfries House later became one of the homes of the Marquesses of Bute.

When the Dowager Marchioness of Bute, Lady Eileen, died in 1993 the house then lay empty until 2007 when the Earl of Rothesay made a last minute purchase of the property to save it for the nation.

His Royal Highness then set up the Great Stewards of Scotland Dumfries House Trust, which has, over the past decade, transformed the estate into a community facility working to help regenerate the surrounding areas.

Jacqueline said: "I'm really keen to demonstrate the measurable impact of the estate: how many more children are eating healthily because of our workshops?

"How many people are we helping into work?

"I want to make Dumfries House and Cumnock go-to destinations.

"Not everything is perfect in this part of Ayrshire but there is a positivity and opportunity there, it is a hard-working place.

"Loads of Scottish towns have been struggling to find a purpose for people but working is happening here and the ripple effect is huge.

"If you can stop people going down a path of destructive, of unhealthy behaviour the you have succeeded."

Jacqueline also says Prince Charles is hands-on with the estate and visits when possible - "the sewing bee loves him".

So how does it feel to have come full circle?

Jacqueline said: "Dumfries House was an unwelcoming and a little intimidating a place.

"You didn’t feel you could walk around the grounds - it wasn't a place for the community.

"My grandad worked for the Duchess and so an ultimate treat was to go into the House with him.

"My family has always talked about the House. It’s nice for me to be back here because my family is connected to it.

"There is a sense of pride but I want to help make it a place that is of benefit to as many people as possible."