Tartan is one of the most distinctive and recognisable textile in the western world and Scotland has become one with it. The earliest reports we see about tartan come from the Roman writers Virgil and Tacitus who wrote that the Picts/Celts were wearing striped, sometimes across, cloaks, shiny and bright. Tacitus also says they were […]
Clan chiefs have been sending out rallying calls to their Clansmen and Clanswomen all over the world to come and join them at the Edinburgh Tattoo this August. Rather than setting a fire on-top of a hill – this time they’re using the internet. Back in 2009 many of us remember the epic Clan March […]
#1 Anything in Scotland’s Commonwealth Tartan Scotland’s uniform of for the Commonwealth Games was widely ridiculed. There was even a petition set up which gained hundreds of signatures calling for it to be replaced. The press called it ‘shocking’ lurid tartan. #2 Oh those poor Currie Brothers The Currie Brothers are a popular vocal and […]
A rare 19th century volume of lavishly illustrated clan fashion is set to go under the hammer in Edinburgh tomorrow. Part of auction house Bonham’s Scottish sale, Costume of the Clans is an illustrated guide that shows how tartan trews and kilts were historically worn. The book, which is numbered 37 of 500 copies, is […]
Celebrated annually around the world, April 6 is recognised as an international celebration of Scottish heritage and ancestry. Known as Tartan Day, the celebration marks the anniversary of the 1320 signing of the Declaration of Arbroath, sought to assert Scotland’s right to self-govern, and to lift the Catholic church’s excommunication of Robert the Bruce. As […]
A distinctive orange and black tartan-clad aircraft has been unveiled to mark a new early morning flight from Inverness to London Gatwick. Budget airline EasyJet launched the tartan today entitled “Highland aircraft” on its Airbus A319 aircraft, alongside a kilt and scarf sported by cabin crew on its inaugural 6:40am service. However the kilt is […]
A bus driver in the northern Swedish town of Umea has begun wearing a skirt to work as temperatures sore past 25C. Mats Lundgren decided to find a trouser alternative when his boss turned down his request to wear shorts to work, stating he was fed up of sitting in the drivers’ seat for hours […]
With Tartan Day just around the corner, we’ve put together a selection of global events celebrating Scotland’s contribution to the world. This year’s festivities range from a Ceilidh in Cuba, to historical reenactments in Buenos Aires and Whisky tasting in the Netherlands. Celebrated on April 6, Tartan Day falls on the anniversary of the signing […]
Scottish classical singer Susan Boyle has announced that she is releasing her own tartan. In a statement released on her website, the Blackburn based singer revealed to fans that a tie she gifted to Donny Osmond earlier this month was the first look at her new range. Britain’s Got Talent star Susan gave Donny a […]
French fashion powerhouse Chanel recently hosted it’s annual Metiers d’Arts show at Linlithgow Palace just outside of Edinburgh, showcasing a contemporary interpretation of traditional Scottish crafts and tartan. Creative director Karl Lagerfeld’s collection combined elements of gothic grandeur with tartan, tweed, sporrans, argyle socks and brogues, coloured with a rich earthy palette. The show ended with […]
