A new tartan has been launched to commemorate the 280th anniversary of the Battle of Culloden this April.
The “Spirit of Culloden” tartan has been created to “reflect the landscape and atmosphere” of the battle, fought near Inverness on 16 April 1746.
Designed by the National Trust for Scotland in collaboration with Lochcarron of Scotland, the tartan has now been lodged in the official Scottish Register of Tartans in Edinburgh.
Its colours are intended to represent “different aspects of the battlefield, events from the battle, and to convey the atmosphere many visitors feel when they visit”.
They include dark grey for the “darkness of the events of the battle and sombre atmosphere” and light grey for the skies and steel swords wielded and musketballs fired in the conflict.
Green, brown and yellow represent the boggy natural landscape of the battlefield, now home to a rich variety of wildlife, and the stones marking the graves of those who lost their lives.
The tartan also includes blue and white to signify the bonnets fixed with white cockades worn by the Jacobites as they charged.
The Battle of Culloden was the final engagement of the Jacobite Rising of 1745, which aimed to restore a Stuart monarch to the British throne.
Bonnie Prince Charlie’s army was defeated by government forces commanded by the Duke of Cumberland in the last pitched battle ever fought on British soil.
The battle is thought to have lasted less than an hour, leaving an estimated 1300 men dead, almost all from the Jacobite side.
The “commemorative” tartan can only be woven with permission from the National Trust for Scotland, which owns and manages a portion of the site and runs an award-winning visitor centre.
Andrew Roberts, the Trust’s Head of Retail, said: “The Battle of Culloden was a pivotal moment in Scottish history and 280 years later, the site evokes strong emotions from visitors.
“Our product manager Gemma McQue, and Karen Gallimore, Culloden’s retail manager, worked extremely hard with our partners to carefully and respectfully design a tartan that symbolises the spirit of the place.
“Dark and light greys reflect the events and weaponry of the battle, the sombre atmosphere of the battlefield, and the skies overhead.
“Soft greens, browns, and yellows represent the natural landscape now home to a rich variety of wildlife, and blue and white acknowledge the bonnets worn by the Jacobites during the Battle.
“The tartan repeat has a thread count of 280 ends to mark the 280th anniversary of the battle fought on 16 April, which is symbolised by 16 blue threads surrounding each line of four white threads.”
A collection of items has also been launched in the Spirit of Culloden tartan, including scarves and hats made by Lochcarron; a range of bags, accessories and gifts, and traditional watches and Apple Watch straps made from the tartan cloth by MacKinnon Watches.
Other items in the collection include magnets, coasters, mugs, bookmarks, tea towels, tote bags and prints featuring artworks of the battlefield created by Glasgow-based illustrator Allistair Burt of Hole in my Pocket, who also collaborated on the initial concept.
Mr Roberts added: “This attention to detail was a huge feat and we’re so proud of the result. We have a wonderful range of products that cater to a variety of people, interests, and needs.
“This is the second tartan we have designed in recent years, which follows the success of our Pink Castle tartan representing Craigievar Castle in Aberdeenshire, and we hope that it is as warmly embraced by our visitors.”
