New Tartans from Strathmore

Mill Strathmore has commissioned its designer to create five new tartans focusing on geographical areas to highlight the diversity and richness found in Scotland's natural surroundings. The colours of the yarn is used to represent the five different ares: Strathdon, Strathmore, Strathtay, Strathisla, and Strathtummel. Here are the stories behind each of the new and fresh designs.  Just click on the images to see a larger versions. [caption id="attachment_2952" align="alignright" width="100" caption="Strathdon tartan"][/caption] Strathdon - "Nestling towards the western end of Aberdeenshire, this valley carries through it the water of the River Don as it cuts its way through the hard grey granite, which is the building block of this rugged countryside. The tartan reflects this rugged terrain through the use of the Blue slate for the mountain scree, the deep Maroon for the dark heathers, and the Yellow Brown of the sandy shale revealed by the scouring at the river edges. The Azure line is the flash of metal spears of the Men of Lonach on their march through Strathdon." [caption id="attachment_2955" align="alignleft" width="100" caption="Strathmore tartan"][/caption] Strathmore - "The name means the Big Valley and its fertile lands have made the area lying between the Grampians to the north and the Sidlaws to the south one of the wealthiest farming areas in Scotland. The tartan is thus influenced by the Brown and Black of the rich soil, the Green of the pastures, the Red for the abundance of soft fruit grown, and the Gold to represent its prosperity." [caption id="attachment_2960" align="alignright" width="100" caption="Strathtay tartan"][/caption] Strathtay - "The valley of the River Tay. Scotland's longest river, cuts through the Highlands down into Central Scotland, finally passing through Perth and Dundee, flowing from its estuary out into the North Sea. The tartan is influenced by the dramatic autumn colours of the wooded banks in the upper reaches of the river valley, with the Olive Greens and mix of the Reds of the leaves cut by the Silver Blue and the Green of the river as it flows swiftly through to the more pastoral waters of its estuary." [caption id="attachment_2961" align="alignleft" width="100" caption="Strathisla tartan"][/caption] Strathisla - "In the north west corner of Angus, close to the border with Perthshire, lies Strathisla, which, though one of the smaller Straths, is no less diverse than others. This tartan is influenced by the dark foaming upper reaches of the River Isla as it crashes through the uncompromising heather covered mountains of Angus, symbolised in the cloth by the Purple and Blue hues. While the Red of the design reflects the abundance of berries to be found in the late summer growth of the Rowans on the lower slopes." [caption id="attachment_2962" align="alignright" width="100" caption="Strathtummel tartan"][/caption] Strathtummel - "Strathtummel is the valley of the River Tummel which spills from Loch Rannoch to flow through serene, but rugged, mountains and lochs on its journey south to merge into the waters of the Tay. The summer colours are echoed in the tartan, with the Purple of the heather, the Blue of the mountains, and the Green of the ferns in the foothills, while the White stripe depicts the enduring summer snowfields, a reminder of winters past and still to come." We would love to know what people think of these new tartan designs.