As our Tartan Design Service becomes more established, we’ve been reflecting on our design commission for the Scottish Samaritans.
Back in the mists of time – or rather, October 2022 – there was a conversation between Neil (CEO of Scottish Samaritans) and Hazel (our CE). Neil had been an ambassador for our Tanzania Tartan during his VSO work in Africa and understood, instinctively, the soft power of tartan. He had a vision for a bespoke tartan for Samaritans – and our job was to bring that vision to life.
Behind the Design
We developed 36 options for the initial shortlisting – something we won’t be repeating! But at the time, it was a real voyage of discovery. The colours were chosen to reflect the Samaritans' brand identity while also symbolising the journey from darkness to hope – something we all experience in some form, though for some, that journey is far more profound. The dark teal and soft green, selected by the Samaritans team, represent growth, healing, and renewal, as well as the complexities of mental health. A splash of orange symbolises optimism and pays tribute to Brew Monday (or Bru Monday, as we say here in Scotland). Each year, Samaritans promote Brew Monday to remind us that reaching out – even for something as simple as a cup of tea – can make all the difference to someone’s wellbeing.
Weaving the Threads Together
Our role was to pull the threads together and weave all these elements into a design that honours the invaluable work of the Samaritans across Scotland. We hope we did it justice. The tartan is splendid. A more beautiful tartan you could never find – even if we do say so ourselves. After a series of Lemony Snicket events we eventually secured the weave with House of Edgar and between their fantastic quality yarn and our design, we produced an end result that everyone associated with, should be proud of. It took so much longer than we would have wanted but it was worth the wait.
Designing Charity Tartans
Designing charity tartans is at the heart of what we do. International Tartans is part of a registered charity, and all income from the sale of tartan and tartan products is used for social good, reinvested in charitable work here in Scotland and around the world.