The Threads that Bind
The Aultbea Hub Craft Group came together from across Aultbea to stitch the stories of our regions and the ties that bind us all.
This is their story.
The music of the tapestry is its colour. And the colours come from the land, from the meadows by wide rivers, from the mountainsides and from the rocks of the sea shore.
Purple could be got from blueberries or sundew, claret red from crotal, the lichen that grows best on the rocks of the seashore, green came from the bark of whin bushes, black from oak bark. Dyed in these Highlands and Island colours, sheep’s wool is sometimes not only stitched but also felted directly on to the tapestry panels.
And in places, there is an clò mòr, the great cloth, famous Harris Tweed is used, as well as tweed from Islay, Brora and Knockando, its colours close to the look of the landscape, the traditional, subtle palette of plant and lichen dyes.
But what makes the tapestry glow is more than all of that vibrancy and the great skill of the stitchers. It is love. All of the patience and careful persistence of groups of stitchers working side by side have come together to speak of a glorious love for their home-places in the Scottish Highlands and Islands.
The Aultbea Hub Craft Group's panelImage provided by Kirstie Campbell
The Highlands and Islands are made up of a number of distinct regions. While each has its own unique character, landscapes, histories and sense of identity what remains a constant is that the Highlands and Islands have been shaped by thousands of years of stories. Whether they are grounded in joy and celebration, mystery and legend or sorrow and tragedy, hearing the stories of our communities across the region, their traditions and the period they lived in can help shape us as individuals and connect us to the past and help us navigate our own path forward.
With regions arranged in a circle around a central traditional spinning wheel, the design of this panel is a demonstration of the connectedness of our communities. Past, present and future our unique stories, our journeys, are forever intertwined, making one large shared family. One region. One community - the Highlands and Islands .
The Ullapool stitcher gathering with Councillor Biz Campbell.Image provided by Steven Gourlay
WITH THANKS TO THE AULTBEA HUB CRAFT GROUP
This panel was stitched by Lorna, Stephanie, Annette, Betty, Heather, Jean and Pat who gave their time, skill and energy to completing a fantastic artwork for their area.
If you would like to see the panel up close and admire the detail of their work, please look out for the panel at an exhibition near you soon. To find out more, follow Inverness Castle Experience on Facebook for all the latest updates on the Tapestry of the Highlands and Islands and the new visitor experience in Inverness, open 2025.
