A NEW tartan has been created to celebrate the 250th birthday of a Scottish town.
And people wanting to get involved will be able to help weave it during the eight-day celebrations being held to mark the historic occasion.
The tartan has been created by Lindsey Patton and in a fitting tribute, the new weave is based on the town’s existing tartan.
The new tartan with a modern twist will be made into key-rings to be sold as keepsakes for Grantown 250: The Strathspey Seven Festivals organised to mark the laying of the first stone of the Highland town.
Lindsey of Tigh Na Weave who hails from Grantown explained why she wanted to make the Grantown 250 tartan.
She said: “The festival is very much a community event and this was a way that I could combine my passion and get involved. Historically Grantown was a weaving town so I thought it was very apt for the celebrations to have its own tartan.”
She added: “The new Grantown tartan is based on the old Grant tartan but it has a bright yellow flash going through it which reflects the Grantown 250 logo. The yellow stripe makes it more modern, but the design is sympathetic to the old Grant tartan too with the other colours looking quite ancient.”
Grantown 250 – The Strathspey Seven is pipped to be the Highland’s biggest birthday party. It will focus on seven themes – Food and Drink, Heritage, Environment, Tourism, Trade, Music and Sport.
Lindsey will be taking part in two events throughout Grantown 250 which kicks off which will be launched by ex-Runrig star Donnie Munro at Castle Grant on June 20.
She said: “We really want people to be involved. I will be at the official opening ceremony at the site of old Grantown near to Castle Grant on June 21 with Knockando Wool Mill. We will have two table top looms and people will be able to have a go at weaving the Grantown 250 tartan. I will also be at the Figgat Fair on June 27 and I will have my big floor loom and again people will be able to learn about the craft.
“I love weaving. I like it because of the repetitiveness and I also like that you are creating the fabric as opposed to using material that has been made by somebody else. It’s very therapeutic.”
The idea for the event has been in the planning for well over a year and Bill Sadler of the Grantown Society which is organising the event said: “Given the history of Grantown as a weaving town, I can see nothing more fitting than having a new tartan created especially for this event. The Grant Tartan, like so many others has a long a most interesting history.
“In 1710 Ludovick Grant, known as the Highland King handed over the chieftainship of the Clan Grant to his son who made all the Gentleman and commons of his name wear ‘whiskers, and make all their plaids and tartan of red and green’ and commanded them to appear ‘at Bellintomb in that uniform, in kilt and under arms.”
“One later version, with a small red stripe in it, was used by Sir James Grant for his regiment of fencibles, who infamously mutinied in 1794 and so through the centuries the tartan has evolved and been worn by many famous people and indeed can be seen during the festival. For example the leaders of the Clan Grant will gather at Old Grantown on June 21st for the opening ceremony of the Grantown 250. It is now wonderful to see the development continuing with Lindsey’s new and modern version of the tartan.”
The festival will finish on June 28 with a host of events as part of a costumed Foundation Day Picnic in The Square which will include a “Great Grantown Cake Bake”.