Highland threads

Spun by hand, shaped by history and worn in defiance - tartan carries centuries of skill, story and pride

- Celia Rufey

Tartan check is indelibly associated with Scotland's identity, but it took centuries to get there. While not a true tartan, the earliest Scottish check is a simple weave in undyed wool, c250 AD and found in Falkirk. Over the following centuries, tartan developed its distinctive check patterns through evolving weave structures, regional colours, and a spirited defence of its homeland.

Early tartans were woven across rural areas in the Highlands, with women making a significant contribution. They spun the wool, prepared natural dyes to colour the yarn, wove the cloth, then worked at fulling it to clean out the natural oil and restore the weave’s structure. This vigorous working of the cloth with hands and feet was often a communal task, and songs to keep movements in time are still part of Scottish folk tradition.