A new tartan, designed and created in Helensburgh, was launched this week.
The Helensburgh and Lomond Tartan, produce by the team at Tweedie, aims to put the area on the world stage.
Designer Mairi Clayton said: “The registration of our new Helensburgh and Lomond Tartan is the culmination of many years of work and a dream come true.
“For many years we have created our own signature textile styles for our award-winning leather and tweed products here in the Leather Guild design studio in Helensburgh.
“We have selected hand spun yarns from spinners, co-ordinated with mills and arranged finishing using our own tweeds woven by artisan weavers based in Scotland.
“We have sold our products, winners of a number of prestigious awards, to our own customers, have created products for a number of top brands and organisations, and have clients throughout Britain and overseas.”
She continued: “Then we decided to develop the idea of a Helensburgh and Lomond Tartan to celebrate the town and district as a tangible recognition of its beauty and we discussed the project with our Business Gateway advisor Jen Smith who was very enthusiastic and encouraging.”
Some months later, having worked to bring the concept into reality, Mairi and husband Stephen applied to the Scottish Register of Tartan to have their new tartan recognised.
The Helensburgh and Lomond Tartan’s “registry notes”, a unique description of the tartan, state: “Located on the Clyde estuary, Helensburgh is the principal town of Lomond and district. The tartan is a celebration of this special area and colours of Loch Lomond and the River Clyde feature strongly, working in harmony with hues of the heather and gorse covered hills and the dark mountains beyond.”
This along with registration notes and the technical design compliance which is laid down in the register of tartan by the Tartans Authority the application was accepted subject to the receiving additional official support and permission.
Douglas Hendry, the executive director with responsibility for legal and regulatory support, at Argyll and Bute Council, provided a written letter of submission which was accompanied by a document of support from Provost Maurice Corry and the application for a registered district tartan was accepted.
The Provost said: “I was very happy to support this project.
“It is a beautiful tartan and I have been very impressed by the quality of the design and of the items made using it.”
The Helensburgh and Lomond Tartan can be seen at, and is available from, Tweedie, 19 West Clyde Street, Helensburgh where it has been converted into gifts, accessories, caps and hats by the team at the Tweedie sewing studio in Helensburgh.
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