Sir Walter Scott

Tartan gained popularity the nineteenth century through the writings of Sir Walter Scott, who masterminded the famous visit to Edinburgh by George IV in 1822. This was the first monarch to visit Scotland since the Jacobite Rising, and the event was an occasion for great celebration. Heads of families were swathed in tartan, much of it woven in great haste, while the portly Lord Mayor of London, William Curtis, bedecked himself in tartan costume and as the festivities progressed, danced
down Princes Street. However, the event placed tartan firmly in the mainstream of Scottish culture, and it is from this time that the kilt evolved into the national costume. Queen Victoria’s love of the Highlands also gave the popularity of tartan a boost, and to this day members of the Royal Family wear the kilt when visiting the Scottish Highlands.

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