THE number of new tartans registered last year has been revealed as one designer explains why more Scots are deciding to create their own.
More than 400 tartans were registered in 2024, according to data from the Scottish Register of Tartans, as more people look for a “personal way” to mark special events.
Of the 439 registered tartans last year, 209 were name tartans which are a personal design to one specific person, but can include their own family.
Notably in 2024 former first minister, Humza Yousaf, registered his own tartan to commemorate the 60th anniversary of his family arriving in Scotland.
The former SNP leader worked with Brian Halley, co-owner of Slanj Kilts, on the design to create his own tartan which is green with a blue backdrop.
Halley explained that he has seen an increase in people wanting to create their own tartan’s as it can be a great way to mark a special occasion.
“It could be for a couple getting married and they want to merge the two tartans, or they want to create something kind of new and special with colours that mean something to them,” he said.
“They'll pick out significant colours from a flag, or I suppose I think in Humza's case it might have been his football team.”
Halley, who has 20 years worth of tartan designing experience at Slanj Kilts, said that typically there is only a slight back and forth with customers as he works to a design brief.
He said that he normally designs around five different tartans made to the customers brief and that they typically pick one of them.
“Sometimes it is very simple, and it doesn’t take long and others there is a lot of back and forth.”
He said that light greys are a very popular background colour currently, with navy blues being a firm favourite for several years.
The veteran kilt maker said one of the driving reasons for the increase in bespoke tartans is that people are realising it isn’t as expensive as they may think.
Halley said people typically think they need a “huge big bale of cloth made” but really, they only need to make two or three kilts for it to financially work out.
Along with Yousaf, Halley also designed tartans for the names of Leaviss, Kinniburgh and Rainey last year.
He explained that it is not just individual tartans which have grown in popularity and that personalised designs for charities and fundraisers have also increased.
One example he gave was Scottish vlogger Craig Ferguson (below) who was raising money for Brothers in Arms, a Scottish charity dedicated to reducing male suicide.
Halley designed a charity to go along with Ferguson's fundraising appeal as the concept of the design according to the vlogger was a “vibrant homage to Scotland's Euros achievement”.
The tartan had the flags of Scotland's Group A opponents – Germany, Switzerland, and Hungary – incorporated throughout it, while the dark blue backdrop echoed the iconic colours of the Scottish football strip.
“The problem with that one was we couldn't get the kilts made fast enough,” Halley said.
“We were just inundated with inquiries for the kilts and then the kiltmakers were struggling, especially obviously approaching the wedding season, we weren't physically able to get the kilts made.
“We've never had that problem.”
