23.06.2009
A textiles student from Heriot-Watt University in Galashiels has won the competition to design the first official Scottish Parliament tartan to mark the 10th anniversary since devolution.
The tartan, inspired by the ‘year of homecoming’, was woven by Perth-based kiltmakers and weavers Macnaughton Holdings Limited.
Winning student Teri Scott will receive a length of the finished tartan and an invitation to the Parliament’s 10th birthday event on 1 July 2009.
The two runners-up were Ruth Duff, from Heriot-Watt University, and Stephen Swinney, from Cardonald College. Both winner and runners-up have received a paid industry work-placement.
Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson MSP said: “As part of our activities to mark a decade of devolution, we launched a competition to design our first official Scottish Parliament tartan. The quality of entries we have received has demonstrated the outstanding potential and talent amongst Scotland’s design students.
"The winning entry is a unique design consisting of purples and greens. I hope that this first official tartan will become one which both MSPs and members of the public will enjoy wearing in the years to come.”
Archie Browning, sales director at Macnaughton Holdings Ltd, said: “The House of Edgar is delighted to be working with a talented young Scottish graduate and proud to be weaving the celebratory devolution tartan.”
Teri Scott said: “I feel very excited and incredibly proud to have designed the tartan which has been chosen to represent the Scottish Parliament on its 10th anniversary.
"My inspiration was taken from the 'year of the homecoming’, a collection of heather tones and vibrant thistle colours taken from Scotland’s beautiful landscape. I would describe the tartan as being a fusion of modern design with traditional qualities.”
Ruth Duff said: “My tartan was inspired by the introduction of the Scottish Parliament 10 years ago. I chose colours that represent the fusion of each of the political parties working together and the purple background represents the Scottish Parliament as a whole.”
Steven Swinney said: “I am very pleased to be a runner-up in the official Scottish Parliament tartan competition. It was an exciting competition to be involved in and I am proud to be a part of the 10th anniversary celebrations and to be representing my college.”
The competition received 62 entries from textile and design students studying at thirteen Further and Higher Education establishments across Scotland. The production of the winning cloth into a clothing garment will be completed in time for the Presiding Officer to wear at the 10th anniversary event on 1 July 2009.
The winning design is exclusively being used by the Scottish Parliament for items sold in the Parliament shop and for marketing and publicity. The new tartan will be registered with the new Scottish Tartans Register as “the official Scottish Parliament tartan”.
Notes to Editors:
Participants taking part in the photocall are:
- Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson MSP
- Teri Scott, winner, Heriot-Watt University
- Ruth Duff, runner-up, Heriot-Watt University
- Stephen Swinney, runner-up, Cardonald College
- Blair Macnaughton, managing director and owner of Manaughton Holdings Ltd
- Kevin Nicoll, sales director at Ingles Buchan)
The competition was organised in conjunction with the following:
- Scottish Textile Academic Group, which represents 13 colleges and universities across Scotland offering textile and related courses.
- Skillfast – UK
- The Scottish Tartans Authority