New Balmoral tartan created at request of King

A tartan designed at the King’s request, which will be used at Balmoral, has been lodged with the Scottish Register of Tartans.

The Balmoral Glen Gelder tartan, designed by the Scottish Tartans Authority, uses the specific colours and shades of the King Charles III tartan which the authority presented to the monarch last year.

That pattern was created to mark the coronation and in recognition of the King’s strong support in preserving the culture and traditions of Highland dress and Scottish tartans.

The new tartan, announced as the King celebrates his 76th birthday, will be used for furnishings and staff uniforms at Balmoral and on a limited range of products that will be available to the public at Balmoral Castle next year.

John McLeish, chairman of the Scottish Tartans Authority, said: “His Majesty The King continues to be a wonderful ambassador and advocate for tartan, Highland dress, and the traditions of the Highlands.

“The Balmoral Glen Gelder tartan has been created using the specific shades from His Majesty’s personal tartan.

“This will allow others to enjoy the lovely soft hues so admired by the King and which make 18th century tartan patterns so sympathetic to the eye.”

The pattern of the new design is based on a unique piece of rural Highland tartan discovered in Glen Affric and now in the collection of authority.

Dating from around 1500 to 1600 AD, it is the oldest surviving specimen of true tartan found in Scotland, the authority said.

The Balmoral Glen Gelder design is said to provide a link to cloth that most likely originated in the reign of James V, Mary Queen of Scots or, possibly, James VI and I.

Glen Gelder sits at the heart of the Balmoral estate, with its lower slopes lying close to Balmoral Castle while its upper reaches provide views of the dark, north facing corries of Lochnagar.

The Scottish Register of Tartans is administered by the National Records of Scotland.