LDRSBanchory now has its own official town tartan, which it hopes both locals and visitors will be able to wear with pride.
It came to be thanks to an idea and the hard work of volunteers at the Banchory Community Trust.
The design, created in partnership with specialists at Lochcarron of Scotland, is now available to buy from the social enterprise shop Studio 1 in the town centre.
However, getting the town tartan wasn’t an easy task.
Trust chairman Alasdair Ross revealed there had been a “long-held ambition” for Banchory to have its own recognisable identity.
“We wanted something that people could see and say, ‘that’s Banchory’ when you look at it,” he said.
“The community council has got its coat of arms, but there are a lot of good things about Banchory, so how do you show it off?”
After some discussion, the idea for a town tartan seemed to be the best option.
Alasdair explained why: “We used to be a traditional coach tour stop, but now that is starting to come back there are lots of people looking for a bit of Banchory to take home with them.
“Local folk as well, you want to show you are from Banchory and are proud of your town.
“There are lots of other towns in Scotland that have their own tartan, so we thought, why shouldn’t we?”
Volunteers on the Trust’s board came up with an idea based on the colours they wanted to use, each representing a different part of Banchory’s heritage.
“We gave a design brief to Lochcarron saying we wanted it to be bold and recognisable, but also wearable,” Alasdair said with a chuckle.
What colours are in the Banchory tartan and what do they mean?
- Green – illustrates the forestry in the area and the mighty Scots Pine.
- Pale blue – signifies the River Dee which runs the length of the town.
- Dusky pink – a nod to Hill of Fare granite that features on buildings in Banchory.
- Purple – represents the town’s historic lavender industry, heather and Royal Deeside.
- Lochcarron sent the Trust eight variations of the pattern back in February.
Following a vote between members, the final design was chosen and an order was placed to create the scarves.
But there was one final hurdle the Trust needed to get over to allow the project to proceed – getting permission to use the name Banchory.
As the tartan was to be named after a town, the Scottish Register of Tartans asked for the group to reach out to Aberdeenshire Council.
The matter went before the Marr area committee last month and councillors unanimously gave the proposal their support.
Alasdair said the Trust was “very grateful” to councillors for allowing them to register the name, as well as the grant from the Common Good Fund that allowed them to do it.
After opening the box and seeing them for the first time, Alasdair said: “I thought it was something that people would be proud to wear.
“It has come together really well – I think we’ve done a good job.”
The thought of buying a scarf in the middle of the summer may seem a bit odd, but Alasdair believes the timing couldn’t be better.
“This is the time of year when everything is happening in Banchory,” he states.
“The Banchory Show is coming up which is the biggest thing in the town and a summer celebration.
“Visitors have already been in the shop admiring the tartan, one lady said it would be the ideal Christmas present.
“I said to my colleague, on Boxing Day when everyone goes out for a walk in Banchory, everyone will be wearing a tartan scarf,” he chuckled.
Alasdair hopes the tartan will become something of a promotional tool for the town.
In an extra boost, local crafters have said they would be willing to use the pattern when making their own items.
While the tartan is currently only available as a scarf, the Trust is hoping to look at producing other goods such as ties and mugs.
The chairman added: “We’ve learned a lot about tartan weaving and the whole process which has been very interesting, and we would encourage other communities to do the same.
“Why shouldn’t every town have it’s own identity and be able to show off and celebrate it?”
All money from sales of the tartan scarves will go back to the Banchory Community Trust.
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