Welsh TartansDo you (or someone you know) include a Welsh connection in your heritage? The Welsh have their own tartan tradition, and we have recently added Welsh tartans to our range, supplementing our existing Scottish and Irish offerings The Welsh ones are pure wool in versatile medium-weight, check them out
hereTalking of Tartan...With Winter well and truly here, it's the perfect time to think about lovely warm fabrics like tartans and tweeds. We have a great selection for sale by the metre, ideal for all those home sewing projects. Remember, tartans and tweeds are great not only for clothing but also ideal for soft furnishings - upholstery, curtains, cushions, covers, throws, etc.
Our tartans come in different weights (light to heavy) for pretty much any Scottish Clan. But don't worry if your Clan tartan isn't the right colouring for what you have in mind, there are plenty of regional/generic/fashion tartans in many different shades - e.g. Flower of Scotland, Edinburgh, Glascow, Isle of Skye, Maple Leaf, Musselburgh, Nova Scotia, Patriot, Quebec, Red Red Rose, Scotland's National, Scotland Forever, Spirit of Scotland, to name just a few! And our Dance Tartans come in lovely jewel-like colours on a pale background - a few are pictured below but check the three full ranges here.
Then there's our Tweed range with a multitude of lovely blues, greens, russets and pinks as well as the more traditional browns and greys - and some tweeds even have tartan-like patterning. To see all our fabrics, which also include velvets, baratheas and twills, check here
Thinking about a Kilt or a complete Kilt Outfit?
Check out our new Wool Blend Kilt and Wool Blend Braemar Kilt Outfit, both designed as affordable alternatives to pure wool options. Get the look without the price tag!
Businesses recovering
Our overseas suppliers are reporting increasing business activity, which is very good news. The downside is that there is still disruption to the labour force throughout the supply chain, so we are experiencing increased delivery delays. We appreciate your patience.
The next couple of weeks in Scottish History
5 June 1723: The birth in Kirkcaldy of the hugely influential political economist and moral philosopher, Adam Smith.
6 June 1838: The birth in Fraserburgh of Thomas Blake Glover, one of the first westerners to establish a business in Japan, and widely remembered there as one of the founding fathers of modern Japan.
7 June 1329: Robert the Bruce dies aged 55. He is succeeded by his five year old son, David II.
8 June 1865: Glenfarclas Distillery in Moray is acquired by John Grant, marking the beginning of a period of major expansion.
9 June 597: St Columba dies in his monastery at Iona.
10 June 1719: Spanish troops, supported by 1,000 Jacobites clansmen, are defeated at the Battle of Glen Shiel which takes place on the steep mountainsides flanking the glen. The Spanish surrender but their part in the battle is remembered by the name of the overlooking mountain, Sgurr nan Spainnteach, or "Peak of the Spaniards".
11 June 1975: The first North Sea oil is pumped ashore at Sullom Voe in Shetland.
12 June 1997: The island of Eigg passes into community ownership when it is purchased by the Eigg Heritage Trust.
15 June 1567: Scottish nobles intent on retrieving Mary Queen of Scots from James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, meet the couple and a thousand supporters at Carberry Hill, east of Edinburgh. After a day long stand-off Mary agrees to the nobles' demands and sends Bothwell away. They never meet again. Mary is taken away to imprisonment in Lochleven Castle on an island in Loch Leven, near Kinross.
17 June 1390: Alexander Stewart, youngest son of Robert II and younger brother of John, Earl of Carrick (later Robert III) and Robert, Earl of Fife destroys Elgin Cathedral in reprisal against Bishop Alexander Bur. He is better remembered as the "Wolf of Badenoch".
18 June 1639: King Charles' English army reaches Berwick-upon-Tweed but when confronted with a much larger Scots army he agrees a truce, the "Pacification of Berwick".
19 June 1306:The army of Robert the Bruce suffers a defeat at the hands of the English at the Battle of Methven, west of Perth.
19 June 1566: Mary Queen of Scots gives birth to a son, Charles James, at Edinburgh Castle.
21 June 1791:The birth in Dumbarton of Robert Napier, the engineer often remembered as "The Father of Clyde Shipbuilding."
21 June 1919: The captured German fleet is scuttled in Scapa Flow, Orkney.
Hopefully we will see some of you at the Solo Piping competition at Lindisfarne College in Hastings over the Matariki long weekend (details here fyi)!
Graham and Sue, Scots in Spirit
