The College of Master Kilt Tailors

29/10/2026

One of the skills The College of Master Kilt Tailors teaches its students is kilt repair and alteration. Since we are teaching the heritage craft of kilt tailoring, it is only right that we also pass on the knowledge of how to maintain these kilts so that they can be passed down from generation to generation.

Sometimes kilts develop holes or become damaged, whether from brambles or gorse catching at the cloth as the wearer goes out on a hike, from sheer age, from moths, or even an over-exuberant night at a ceilidh!

The usual method of repair is to ‘reweave’ using threads and/or a patch from a small hidden area of the kilt’s cloth so that the mend is practically invisible. This is one of the benefits of future-proofing - by incorporating an element of excess cloth during the tailoring process - so that areas can be harvested when necessary.

An alternative method is to create a visible mend, which celebrates the life of the kilt by highlighting where the mend has been made through beautiful, eye-catching embroidery skills and wonderful silks, floss or other fibres.

Whatever the method used, tailored kilts are created to be enjoyed, celebrated and worn for decades. Mending is therefore part of these wonderful garments’ story, as it should be for any clothing that we wear.

22/10/2026

STV, a Scottish public broadcast TV channel, has been behind the scenes (or, as they put it, behind the seams) with Sergeant Thomas Couper, the Master Tailor of the Fifth Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Sgt Couper is a serving soldier as well as the master tailor for Balaklava Company, which is the permanent public duties unit in Scotland that carries out state ceremonial duties including guarding Edinburgh Castle and serving as the Royal Guard at Balmoral. All the kilts visitors see on display are Sgt Couper’s handiwork.

Until 1940, the Scottish infantry wore kilts were as everyday field dress, but now they are mainly ceremonial, and as Master Tailor, it is Sgt Couper’s job to ensure they are a perfect fit for every serving solder in the Fifth Battalion, while it is every solider’s duty to maintain a high standard of dress, including polishing (‘bulling’) shoes, shining metalware and keeping the rest of their uniform in perfect condition.

“We do… inspections to capture anything that’s not right before the parade. We identify them, get it fixed as a priority, get it back on the guy and get him back in the game as quickly as possible. If they’re promoted up a rank, I also have to change the ranks on all their uniform, jumpers, shirts and jackets. It’s a lot of work.”

Sgt Couper says he first learned there was an opening from the previous master tailor, Sergeant Currie. He spent a year learning the craft and hopes to pass the mantle to another soldier one day.

“You’ve got to be keen and have a bit of drive as you’re working under pressure. This is not a 9-5 job. Working late, starting early, working weekends. It doesn’t matter, the job needs to get done. You need to allow that for what you want to be. You either want to be here or you don’t. We need the right person, but we’ve got a bit of time.”

(Image from STV News).

16/10/2026

16/10/2026

15/10/2026

Our wonderful founder, Marion Foster MBE was one of 400 women invited to the Women of the Year Lunch and Awards 2026 on Monday, 12th October at the Royal Lancaster London Hotel.

The first Women of the Year Lunch in 1955 – at which 500 exceptional women were honoured – was the brainchild of Tony (Antonella) Lothian, a 33-year-old mother of six. It took place at a time when Britain was radically changing as a result of the war and the Labour government that followed, which she voted for, and was the first of its kind. Since then, Women of the Year has proudly recognised and celebrated the achievements of some of the world's most incredible and bravest women, and this year was no exception.

The 72nd Women of the Year Lunch and Awards brought together remarkable women from all walks of life to celebrate extraordinary achievements, leadership, and purpose-driven impact across society. Every woman selected to attend the annual lunch is honoured as a Woman of the Year, and at the event, eight special awards were presented to exceptional individuals and collectives whose resilience, innovation, and courage continue to make a lasting difference.

We are thrilled that all of Marion’s hard work has been recognised by and we are delighted that she was invited to attend the lunch with such an inspiring group of women from across the country and beyond.

This year has been such a landmark year for Marion and everyone involved with The College of Master Kilt Tailors as her vision for keeping the heritage craft of kilt tailoring alive for future generations comes alive and gathers pace.

She celebrated the event in the most fitting way, by making her own dress to attend the function, created using 3oz 2x2 twill weave 100% silk in Muted Strathearn with a 120 year old Victorian hand made lace collar from Little Viking Vintage, a fabulous Etsy shop that specialises in antique accessories

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LittleVikingVintage

We think you’ll agree that Marion looks wonderful, and really is a Woman of the Year.

Congratulations Marion. We are so proud of you!

08/10/2026

Peter MacDonald OBE is Scotland’s foremost tartan historian, specialising in all aspects of tartan with an emphasis on historically accurate research. Part of his research includes recreating historic tartans and he is currently working on the reconstruction of a 1789 specimen of 42nd (Black Watch) tartan. It is on the loom and looking fantastic, not least because it includes a lovely herringbone selvedge which is rarely seen on most commercial tartans these days.

Peter is a wonderful friend of The College of Master Kilt Tailors and we have been lucky enough to benefit from the expertise and wisdom which he has shared with us at our Gatherings over the years.

Do follow him on Facebook, or visit his website to read more about his research, tartan design and consultancy services - https://www.scottishtartans.co.uk/

01/10/2026

If anyone was ever in any doubt about how important a tartan might be to a family, clan or other group, then we need look no further than the Duns Pipe Band, based in the historic market town of Duns in the Scottish Borders.

The band was founded in 1942 and originally wore the MacKenzie/Seaforth Highlanders tartan until 2014. In 2015 the band introduced its own official Duns Pipe Band tartan, which incorporates the red, black, green and white colours of the town’s Standard.

Of course, a length of tartan can only last so long and it was important to the band that it could remain immediately recognisable in its chosen colours as representatives of Duns, wherever it played. The band were delighted to receive a grant to purchase another 100 metres of its bespoke tartan from the Fallago Environment Fund, which distributes proceeds from the Fallago Rig wind farm in the Lammermuir Hills to support community projects across the Scottish Borders.

Andrew Ainslie, Pipe Major of Duns Pipe Band, said: "We're extremely grateful to the Fallago Environment Fund for this support. Our tartan represents Duns, our history and the connection between our band members and ensures that whenever we perform, people immediately know that they're seeing Duns Pipe Band. Having 100 metres of new tartan gives us the security of knowing that we can replace and maintain our Highland dress over the coming years and continue to represent the band, and the town, to the highest standard."

Representing the Fallago Environment Fund, His Grace The Duke of Roxburghe joined Andrew Ainslie as he collected the tartan from Lochcarron of Scotland in Selkirk.

27/09/2026

Save the Craft and Design Courses at Edinburgh College of Art

24/09/2026

Glasgow’s Buchanan Galleries has unveiled a bespoke, registered tartan to commemorate the city’s historic twinning with Boston, following the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The newly created pattern, named “Twinned in Tartan,” celebrates the positive impact of Scotland’s Tartan Army fans in Boston, which served as a host city during the tournament in June and July.

The tartan’s pattern weaves together colours from the flags of both Glasgow and Boston, and also incorporates colours inspired by the “Green Monster” (a popular nickname for the 37-foot-2-inch-high (11.33 m) left field wall at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox major league baseball team, recognising Boston’s sporting heritage.

Buchanan Galleries has commissioned a ceremonial kilt in the collaborative tartan to be gifted to the City of Boston during an as-yet-announced official twinning ceremony meant to formalise a 400-year history between the two North Atlantic port cities and the modern bond formed during the global football tournament.

Director of Buchanan Galleries Kathy Murdoch said, “We’re incredibly proud to mark this special moment in Glasgow’s history with a tartan that reflects the warmth, friendship and pride the Tartan Army brought to Boston during the World Cup.”

17/09/2026

Lochcarron of Scotland has been shortlisted for Manufacturer of the Year (under £10m) at the Made in Scotland Awards 2026. This nomination recognises the company’s unique weaving mill and celebrates the dedication of its team, its heritage and craftsmanship, and its world-renowned tartans and textiles.

From its weaving mill in Selkirk, the company bridges tradition and modernity, connecting the craftsmanship of the Scottish Borders with the runways of New York, London, Paris and Milan. Lochcarron of Scotland’s work brings the journey from kilt to catwalk to life, demonstrating how tartan, an iconic national fabric, can remain both culturally significant and creatively relevant.
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Leah Robertson, the company’s Managing Director, is quoted as saying “We are incredibly proud to be shortlisted for Manufacturer of the Year. This recognition is a testament to the skill, dedication and passion of our team here in the Scottish Borders, whose expertise allows us to continue a textile tradition that has been part of this region for generations.

"At Lochcarron, we are proud of our heritage, but we are equally focused on the future. To see textiles woven here in Selkirk go on to be worn, used and celebrated around the world is enormously rewarding. This nomination recognises not only what we make, but the people, craftsmanship and innovation that make it possible, and I am delighted to see their work recognised in this way.”

The company exemplifies how a heritage business can thrive through skill, creativity and global relevance. Its continued success reflects a deep respect for the past, a confident vision for the future and a dedication to producing textiles that carry Scottish tradition into the world with pride.
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Here at The College of Master Kilt Tailors, Lochcarron is one of the mills where our students source cloth for tailoring their kilts and we are delighted that they have been shortlisted for this award. We wish them the very best of luck!



(Image from Lochcarron of Scotland website)