HISTORY OF ABERFELDY TARTAN

Gaelic Choir Inspires New Tartan for Aberfeldy

Aberfeldy has its own tartan for the first time, thanks to the ladies of Aberfeldy & District Gaelic Choir and Strathmore Woollens of Forfar.

“We thought the Choir was starting to look a bit shabby, as some of our skirts were nearly as old as some of our members!” said Choir representative Susan MacDonald. “But all the tartans we looked at were too dark for the stage, and we thought the best thing to do was to arrange the design of a new tartan for Aberfeldy – at last! Aberfeldy used to be a burgh, and had its own Provost and Town Council – of course there should be an Aberfeldy tartan!”

The colours of a new tartan must reflect the area and the traditions it represents – and the colours chosen for the Aberfeldy tartan evoke the watery Tay, the heather and the hills, and the strong association with the Black Watch. All the colours are tied together with a delicate white stripe, representing the prehistoric ley lines which course the Aberfeldy surroundings and are said by many to be the reason for the area attracting a wealth of creativity and energy.

Aberfeldy Tartan hits the market

The new Aberfeldy Tartan has been hailed by MSP John Swinney as “a great marketing and promotional tool for Aberfeldy” at its official launch on Friday 31st July 2009.

In a short ceremony accompanied by members of the Robert Wiseman Dairies Vale of Atholl Pipe Band, John Swinney cut the tartan ribbon to open the Tartan Shop in the town’s square, to the delight of over a hundred onlookers. Susan MacDonald then showed him around the shop, together with his colleagues Pete Wishart MP and Councillor Ken Lyall , to view the many tartan goods on sale. Pete Wishart said he thought the new tartan was “absolutely delightful”, while Ken Lyall thought it would “put Aberfeldy on the map internationally, not just locally.”