Founded in 1582, it wasn’t until 2007 that the University of Edinburgh commissioned its very own tartan. Gordon was honoured to be given the opportunity to immortalise the work of its students, staff and alumni in traditional Scottish fashion. The University of Edinburgh tartan is a symbol of achievement and belonging - to a world-renowned institution and the city it calls home.

Released in April 2014 to celebrate the opening of the eponymous 215 km John Muir Way, this tartan is an ode to the spectacular coastline of East Lothian.

The red stone cliffs and bright blue seas and skies of Dunbar remain much unchanged since a young John Muir began his long journey to America in 1849. Today, it is home to the Nicolson family - making this a tartan close to Gordon’s heart. With the approval of Scottish Natural Heritage, he married the vivid colours of his immediate landscape with carefully balanced green and browns. It is a design that seems likely to have delighted the great environmentalist himself. 

Flodden Commemorative tartan manifests a thread of historical remembrance, integral to the City of Edinburgh and woven into the Border Common Ridings. Designed by Gordon Nicolson in 2013 to mark the 500th anniversary of the momentous Battle of Flodden. 

On that day, 5,000 English and 10,000 Scots lost their lives, with unavoidable consequences for both nations. The colours entwined within Flodden's tartan symbolically unite the two opposing sides of such a devastating battle, which saw James IVth become the last Scottish monarch to fall in combat. The Tudor green & white of the English Army are bound inextricably to the deep red & gold of the Scottish forces, set against the grey & brown of the ground they fought on, where many lie still.

Flodden Commemorative Tartan is woven in Selkirk in the Scottish Borders by Lochcarron of Scotland.

When curating the GNK collection of exclusive Scottish tartans , our own family Highlandwear heritage enjoyed subtle evolution through considerate design.  Gordon's reverent approach when pushing boundaries led to the creation of a magnificent modern variant of our own clan tartan. Hunting Muted Nicolson is expertly woven in a refreshing new palette of pure wool, influenced by his wife's favourite colours.

Aquamarine blue and rich magenta meet with muted green, underpinned by black and highlighted with the familiar flashes of gold & white found in Hunting Nicolson Modern, Ancient and Weathered tartan variations.

The result is dramatically different, while remaining true to the established patterns commonly recognised as Nicolson Clan Tartans

If you have ever been fortunate to spend time in the Hebridean Islands, you will undoubtedly have experienced first hand, how daily life is influenced by the ever-shifting weather in all its unpredictable forms. 

This part of the world is famed for delivering all four seasons in one day - sometimes within an hour, so it breeds a hardy resilience amongst its inhabitants. 

Designed by our friend and fellow kiltmaker, Cheryl, beneath the influential skies of her home in Benbecula, Hebridean Hoolie illustrates how swiftly brooding, tempestuous storms and crashing surf can clear, revealing cloudless blue vistas and crystal waters.

Highland Mist (Corporate) is a strikingly unusual asymmetric design by Claire Donaldson of House of Edgar.

This tartan truly captures the mood and misty tones of Scottish Highland landscapes, incorporating beautiful shades of deep blue and purple, with vivid highlights of magenta, rich green and warm gold.

Exclusively available from Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers, who revived this beautiful design that had sadly fallen out of use and was no longer commercially woven.

Highland Mist is once again woven by House of Edgar at their Keith Mill, and remains enduringly popular thanks to its perennial colours and fascinating weave.

Inspired by the famous crest worn by our teams, the Scotland National Team tartan encompasses the pride and passion of the Scottish FA. It is a celebration of all those who play - from the Under-16s to the men’s and women’s international squads. And, because no team is worth more than its fans, it was the Tartan Army who had the final say, when Gordon produced five potential designs in 2017. Thousands went online to register their vote. The resulting tartan has proven a hit with die-hard Scottish FA loyalists and contemporary tartan fans alike.