Tartan: The misunderstood icon of Scottishness
By Norman Miller26th May 2021
Tartan is updating its image in the 21st Century, with new patterns exploring issues around climate change, homelessness – and World War Two dive bombers, writes Norman Miller.
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More resonances cling to tartan than perhaps any other fabric. It s a stirring visual expression of both history and geography, as well as innovative design and self-expression. There are many ways in which you can make a tartan distinctive and imbue it with personal or collective meaning, says Rosie Waine, William Grant Foundation research fellow at National Museums Scotland. Throughout its history, tartan has been used to express political viewpoints, as well as familial, regional and national identities. It has been viewed as tame and conservative by some; bold, brilliant and radical by others.