The Scottish Borders are world renowned for their textile production, particularly tartans & tweeds. Of course, tartan is one of the first things people associate with when thinking of Scotland.
The textile industry is a hugely important part of the Scottish Borders history & economy. Hundreds of mills for various purposes have lined the rivers of Scottish Borders since the Industrial Revolution. The Woolen Mills of the Scottish Borders continue to produce most of Scotland’s tartans & tweeds, plus top-quality woolen clothing that is distributed worldwide, including to major fashion houses.
Tartansstarted in 16th century as woven checkered-in-design materials worn by highlanders to identify different Scottish clans. As time passed more tartans were recognised as representing a specific clan from each geographic area in Scotland.
The popular TV show Outlander & the quite fine-looking Jamie Fraser have done some great publicity home & abroad for Scottish history & tartan. As did Mel Gibson in the 1995 film Braveheart. Outlander & Braveheart are based around the time of the Jacobite Risings. After Bonnie Prince Charlie’s final Jacobite defeat to the British Army at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, the British Government abolished tartan under The Dress Act 1746 making it a criminal offense to wear tartan. Tartans began to disappear until in 1822 when a revival began thanks to our fellow resident Borderer & the great Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott. Scott was asked to organise the trip of the new King of Britain, King George IV to Edinburgh. Everyone in Scotland was encouraged to wear their clan tartans again to mark the occasion.
The term Tweed holds a special place in my heart, having been born, bred & married on the banks of the river Tweed at Berwick-upon-Tweed & Norham. My ancestors have lived (& farmed) alongside the Tweed for hundreds of years. Records show family living near the source of the Tweed way back to 1800’s and beyond. Tweed incidentally was also my ‘house’ at primary school in Norham.
The cloth Tweed, originating a little later than tartan around 18th century, refers to a traditionally woven material made from pure wool. “Typically woven in earthy tones, dyed naturally from local plants and moss before being washed in soft peat water” (Loch Carron of Scotland) .
Firstly, called tweel due to the twill pattern the weaver used and later, apparently mistakenly named Tweed after our river Tweed where many of the textile mills who made Tweed were (and still are). Historically tweed is weaved using sheep wool from the local Cheviot breed of sheep found on the surrounding Cheviot hills to the mills.
Tweed was commonly worn by the thrifty upper class (of which round here in the Borders there were many and arguably still are!) when shooting & fishing due to its hard wearing & everlasting qualities. It has now been adapted to suit popular designer trends with the introduction of brighter colours making it more versatile and popular with today’s fashions but is still the fabric of choice for many a fisherman or shooter.
The Scottish Borderland Tartan, 100% wool and made by Loch Carron here in the Scottish Borders, is a blue based tartan with bold green checks inspired by the colours found locally in the Scottish Borders landscapes. With no official Clan Chief as the tartan is a district one, could we perhaps suggest some honorary ones……..?
The Borderland Tartan is a key thread running through the design of our Borderland Tours brand. Not only did the colour of the tartan influence our brand colours & logo but it is also the fabric of choice for our Borderland Tours uniform (waistcoats & flat caps) and the tablecloths we will be using for our moveable feast. Celebrating our heritage in everything we do.
Always big supporters of local suppliers and showcasing all things local, we are having our outfits and tablecloths made in the Borderland tartan by our friends along at The Scotland Shop in our local Borders town of Duns. The Scotland Shop has been making textiles along the road in Berwickshire since 2002. Firstly, from the granary on their home farm and now from 2023 in their HQ in Duns. With shops in Edinburgh & the USA, the Scotland Shop knows their tartans. Borderland Tour guests will be able to purchase Borderland Tartan souvenirs made by the Scotland Shop, supporting & celebrating local business, our community & our heritage, just like Mel Gibson & Jamie Fraser did!
