Threads of Identity

By Glen Moyer

The Glen Moyer tartan, created by Clare Campbell of the Prickly Thistle and Glen Moyer.

Clare is bringing a lost industry back... exploring new opportunities for tartan as an expression of identity beyond the traditional Highland Clans, all while focusing on the use of natural fibres and sustainability

Tartan is symbolic of the Scottish Highlands, so when I met Clare Campbell (founder of Prickly Thistle) and learned of her dream to open a mill and return the weaving of tartan to the Highlands, I was immediately on-board (even though my Scot ancestors were lowland Scots and my heritage is Ulster Scots). Her philosophy that tartan is a cloth of identity struck a chord with me as I was then, and am continuing now, to explore my Scottish ancestry. With no direct Clan affiliation (my ancestors were a sept of Clan Douglas) I decided to express my love of my ancestral Scottish heritage and my pride in my birth right as a Texan by having my own tartan created and registered. Clare and I worked together and using the flags of Scotland and Texas as my inspiration, the Glen Moyer Tartan was created and woven - in the Scottish Highlands.

Through her #BuildTheMill crowdfunding campaign, of which I am a proud supporter, Clare is bringing a lost industry back to the Highlands, creating new jobs and exploring new opportunities for tartan as an expression of identity beyond the traditional Highland Clans, all while focusing on the use of natural fibres and sustainability. I'm honoured to support and contribute to this story that is unfolding day by day at her pop up mill in Evanton and eventually the Black House Mill on the Black Isle, while also creating a legacy for my family that will forever more be part of our identity and a tribute to our Scottish heritage.

Click here to learn more about Prickly Thistle and their commitment to building a sustainable future for tartan in Scotland.

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