Drive to establish new tartan research centre in Highlands

Published on Wednesday 22 August 2007 01:01

AN ATTEMPT is being made to establish a centre in the Highlands to study the origins and development of tartan.

It is hoped the project will include academic research, possibly via the proposed Highlands and Islands university, and act as a tourism magnet for people interested in Scottish history and genealogy.

It is also thought the centre could link up with a planned national tartan register that was announced by the Scottish Executive last month.

The idea for the research centre has been put forward by Highland councillor Ken MacLeod and is supported by James Scarlett, a world authority on tartans who lives near Inverness.

Last month, Jim Mather, the enterprise minister, gave his official backing to a register of the thousands of tartans in existence to "protect, promote and preserve one of Scotland's most iconic and valuable assets".

Sandy Park, the convener of Highland Council, has asked Alex Salmond, the First Minister, to consider linking the register to a centre in the Highlands.

He said: "The Highlands is a natural place to consider locating this new venture, which will prove a significant tourist attraction and create jobs. Not only is the Highlands the geographical centre of the historic legacy of tartan, but we boast a wealth of experience and knowledge of tartan.

"I recognise that a lot of the manufacturing of tartan is conducted outwith the Highlands, but the clan system and roots from which tartan has come is within the Highlands and Islands. We have a good claim to have the register established here."

Mr Scarlett, 87, is the last surviving member of the former Scottish Tartan Society (STS), set up to research the subject. He has written several books on tartans and has donated an index of more than 2,000 tartans drawn up for the STS. He said: "I have been working on the academic study of tartan for over 40 years, and if someone doesn't do anything about it, what I have learned is just going to be lost.

"The Highlands is the proper place for a tartan research centre with an academic approach, and it's maybe something the university could do as part of its cultural studies.

"I'm interested in where [tartan] came from and how it works. It's an extraordinarily interesting subject when you get into it and it's part of the Highland culture."

Mr Scarlett said a centre could be set up in conjunction with the Crieff-based Scottish Tartans Authority, which has an international index of more than 4,500 listed tartans and is seen as the "register in waiting".

Last month, a report commissioned by the Executive said tartan generates more than 350 million every year for the Scottish economy and supports more than 4,000 jobs.