Kinloch Anderson have been working closely with Edinburgh Zoo to commission a special tartan to welcome the giant pandas to Scotland. The tartan has been approved by the Scottish Register of Tartans and reflects the huge cultural significance of Tian Tian and Yang Guang’s future arrival on Scottish shores.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland was formally established in 1909, by Edinburgh lawyer, Thomas Gillespie. In light of this and to give the design a direct link to The Edinburgh Zoo’s heritage we have chosen to use the Gillespie Tartan as the starting point for the new design.
The main colours of the tartan are black and white for a direct representation of the Pandas. We have also added grey shades to soften the tartan as well as to convey the gradation of colour from black to white, as seen on the Pandas fur.
Red is also an important colour within the designs as it represents China and the wonderful gift they have given us. The number 3 signifies luck due to the fact that it sounds similar to the Chinese character for birth. On reflection of this we have added three red overchecks which are in the heart of the design. This shows that China, as well as the Pandas, are now in the hearts and minds of Scotland and its people. In places we have also added green to represent the Pandas nourishment of Bamboo.
Traditional, beloved and intrinsic to Scotland, the tartan symbolically entwines the coming together of the Scottish and Chinese cultures, and is a perfect commemoration to mark the gift of two giant pandas to Scotland.