We and our advertising partners use cookies on this site and around the web to
improve your website experience and provide you with personalised advertising
from this site and other advertisers. By clicking "allow", you accept the
placement and use of these cookies for these purposes.
Learn More
Lochcarron of Scotland Add a Stitch to the Galashiels Interchange Panel
Posted On: September 11, 2023
We welcomed Susie Finlayson at our Lochcarron of Scotland Visitor Centre, Selkirk on the 6th of September with the tapestry panel for the Galashiels Interchange Panel Project. Holding this event allowed many of our colleagues and visitors to get involved and add a stitch to the beautiful panel.
Picture: Phil Wilkinson / Lochcarron
The Interchange Panel Project
The aim of the project is to create a hand stitched panel to be featured in the Galashiels Interchange building. The project is commissioned by the Border’s Railway Community Partnership, funded by Cross Country Trains and will link the Great Tapestry of Scotland in Galashiels with the Border’s railway. The railway being a common method of transport for visitors to the Scottish Borders.
Picture: Phil Wilkinson / Lochcarron
The stitching of the panel is led by Susie Finlayson, a hand embroiderer based in the Scottish Borders. Susie has been engaging with individuals, venues and local schools across the Borders and Edinburgh where members of the community can add a stitch to the panel. Once you have added your stitch, there is a book where you can record your name to share your contribution. So far over 1000 people have gotten involved. This includes Her Majesty Queen Camilla who added a stitch when she visited Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh while the King and Queen were touring Scotland during Holyrood Week. Currently, Susie has been stitching the tapestry for 18 months and it is due to be completed and hung by Easter 2024, where it will be framed and displayed in the Galashiels Interchange.
Picture: Phil Wilkinson / Lochcarron
About Susie
Susie has over 40 years’ experience in cross stitch but only started to embroider while volunteering for a project at the Great Tapestry of Scotland in 2011, where she became a stitcher. This led to a complete career change from working in IT. Now, she has her own business teaching embroidery techniques, through hosting workshops and she is currently on the board of trustees for the SWI (Scottish Women’s Institutes).
The Tapestry Panel
The tapestry is in two halves and the total length, once completed, will be 2 metres in length by 1 ½ metres wide. The fabric used is Linen Union, a robust, durable material making it difficult to rip/damage and Appletons Crewel wool is used in the stitching of the panel. Although referred to as a tapestry, as Susie described, the panel is not necessarily a tapestry but surface embroidery crewel work.
The Panel Design
The panel has been designed by Andrew Crummy MBE, designer from the Great Tapestry of Scotland. The design was drawn out on paper, in colour and a lightbox was used to trace the design onto the tapestry. Currently not all the imagery has been added to the piece and the side sections will been hand-drawn in as the design development progresses.
Susie discussed the inspiration behind the imagery used in the panel. The Tapestry tells the story of the journey taken by the Border’s railway from Edinburgh to the Galashiels Interchange and local surroundings, showcasing the people’s story of Galashiels. The design composition features the main figure at the top of the stairs, she becomes the landscape, following the railway journey which then turns into weaving loom when reaching Galashiels, linking to the Great Tapestry of Scotland. The composition incorporates distinctive features you may witness on your railway journey and the imagery in the sections down either side of the tapestry piece will correlate to each train station on the Borders Railway.
The tapestry is all about telling little stories. Susie showed where she incorporated the rugby score into the trees when Scotland beat England earlier this year and described that in the section where she had stitched the Leaderfoot Viaduct, little details will be included in the panel to reference Indiana Jones since some of the scenes were filmed there, for example his whip. This creates lots of hidden intricate details in the stitching you have to look closely to find, you will always spot something new you didn’t notice before each time you view the final piece.
Our 100% British Wool Collection is a beautiful addition to our range of accessories, woven in our Fearne Scarves and Bracken Blankets. A soft and comfortable choice for those seeking a more sustainably conscious product.
A Scottish fly plaid is an accessory inspired by the traditional Great Kilt. Draped elegantly over the shoulder, a tartan fly plaid creates a striking silhouette that pays homage to your Scottish ancestry and is a perfect final detail to your wedding outfit or highland dress. Discover more about this stunning essential to your look.
It is important to know how to store and care for your kilt to avoid costly repairs and maintain your kilt shape, pleating and general appearance, allowing it to look its best every time you wear it. To help you get the most out of your garment, we have created this guide on kilt care and how to look after your kilt properly, preserving this classic piece so that it can be passed down for generations.
Whether you are Scottish or of Scottish descent, there’s no better way to connect with your heritage than donning your family’s tartan. But with over 7000 varieties to choose from, coming in all manner of colours and patterns, how do you know you’re wearing the right one? And what if you don't have any Scottish ancestry, but still want to wear tartan?
One of the first things that people tend to associate with Scotland is tartan. Although it’s a national treasure, many of us are unaware of the history behind tartan. With this in mind, we take a closer look into what it is, its origins, and its presence in today’s world.
Commonly associated with Scotland, tartan is a woven cloth consisting of interlacing threads creating a pattern. This pattern is known as the sett. Tartan is recognised all over the world as a symbol of Scottish heritage.
This Grant 1714 tartan was recently reconstructed by Peter Macdonald, tartan historian, and honorary Head of Research at The Scottish Tartan’s Authority from studies of Richard Waitt’s portraits of the Laird of Grant’s Piper and Champion from 1714. This historic tartan is one of the earliest tartans on record predating the Battle of Culloden 1745 and the later 19th century tartans and is believed to be the only historic early 18th century tartan to have been re-created and registered by a Clan Chief.
Kilts can be pleated to either the sett or the stripe. The pleats showcase the tartan pattern and the type of kilt pleating you choose can have a big impact on the final appearance of your highland wear outfit. If you are unsure of the difference between the two styles of pleating, finding it difficult to choose or even picturing how your kilt would look, we have created this guide exploring the two techniques.
Today, kilts can be worn in whatever way you wish and it is acceptable if you decide not to stick with the traditional highland wear look. Whether you are still deciding on the type of kilt you want or looking to make the most out of your current kilt and wear it to more than the occasional formal event. We have provided inspiration on how to adapt your outfit it to suit your personal style and create a more casual look.
