Our limited edition HERITAGE tartans are handwoven in our Edinburgh atelier made from carefully sourced British alpaca and handstitched, brushed and finished.
The Heritage collection not only finds its inspiration in nature, but the very colours that are seen in the yarn have been drawn out from nature using a highly skilled natural plant dyeing process. Araminta meticulously colour matches to the natural plant dyes such as indigo, nettle and oak bark to create each of the woven yarn colours used in her tartans which reflect those natural colours providing the beautiful colour palette you see in the collection.
Each limited edition handwoven piece is one of only 12 to be produced.
The Heritage tartan design, Beech Dappled Skies, beautifully depicts the blue skies seen through the dappled leaves of the beech woodland in Aberdeenshire. Araminta’s parents’ house overlooks the River Dee and is home to a wonderful native woodland of mature beech trees, it was on an early spring day as the leaves were unfurling and the sun was hitting the soft pink grey of the trunk that Araminta was inspired to create this tartan, the first exclusive ‘Araminta Campbell’ brand tartan.
Each of the colours in the tartan has been created using natural plant dyes, a technique Araminta has practiced for over 10 years and takes our tartans back to their origins. In this tartan the dyes originally came from materials such as indigo, nettles, oak bark, logwood, onions and gallnuts. Once Araminta has chosen the natural colours used to create the tartans, each colour is meticulously matched by our dyeing technicians to achieve Araminta’s exact shade palette.
With her childhood holidays spent exploring the highlands, this tartan was inspired by the arresting view from her grandparent’s house in the highlands of Scotland during sunset. The impressive skies depicted in the tartan showcase the clean Highland air and the display of colour over the inspiring Scottish mountains at dusk. This tartan is the sister to Highlands at Dawn, they are the same tartan but created in two colourways to reflect the change in the landscape.
Highlands at Dusk is inspired by the dramatic colours in the Scottish highland skies as the sun sets at dusk. The design comprises beautiful dark blue hues with a red overcheck to represent the strong silhouette of the mountains as the sun goes down setting the clouds alight in warm tones fading to soft grey. This sight has never ceased to leave Araminta in awe.
When dyeing with natural plant dyes, Araminta uses all of the dye to achieve different saturations of colour. In this tartan the bright red is heavy with the dye of logwood and cochineal where the paler pink is where the yarn takes the last of the dyes in to create the beautiful softer colour. oak bark and gallnuts were also used to achieve the colours in this tartan.
With her childhood holidays spent exploring the highlands, this tartan was inspired by the arresting view from her grandparent’s house in the highlands of Scotland during sunrise. The impressive skies depicted in the tartan showcase the clean Highland air and the display of colour over the inspiring Scottish mountains at dawn. This tartan is the sister to Highlands at Dusk, they are the same tartan but created in two colourways to reflect the change in the landscape.
Highlands at Dawn is inspired by the big skies and dramatic display of colour to be seen over the Scottish highlands as dawn breaks. It is made up of beautiful blue hues with orange and white overcheck to represent the soft blue at dawn with the warm tones of the sun rising over a stubble field looking East.
Araminta works in a very experimental manor when working with natural plant dyes to achieve her colours, if you gather nettles from the same patch at different times of year you will obtain a different colour. In our Highlands at Dawn tartan Araminta used nettles, indigo, madder, onion skins and logwood to obtain the colours.
Alpaca is one of the rarest natural fibres in the world and we are able to source the fibre for our collections from British alpacas. In our HERITAGE Collection we use this sustainable fibre blended with the fibre created from the stems of roses. We source the finest fleece available, only 5-10% of alpacas produce the quality of fleece selected for our products. Each year the quality of an individual alpaca’s fleece can change due to factors such as the weather, nutrition, age and wellness of the animal, we therefore assess each fleece every year. The fleece is selected for fineness, crimp, lustre and colour, and this year we can now trace each fleece back to the individual alpaca.
Our yarn is spun one fleece at a time, in the Scottish Borders, to represent the unique natural colours of each fleece. In our HERITAGE collection the colours are drawn directly from nature through Araminta’s natural plant dyes. The alpaca yarn is then dyed to match these colours creating an exquisite colour palette that perfectly reflects nature. Here you can see some of Araminta’s original colours of naturally dyed yarns. Through combining the best fibre with our precise spinning, our yarn is exceptionally strong and brings an inherent strength to each piece to ensure they last a lifetime.
We work on vintage George Wood Looms in our atelier where the weaver powers each moving part of the loom by hand and by foot. The intensity they work at to create each individual product is unsurpassed in terms of precision and concentration. The entire process from setting up the warp, to individually threading each warp end, to throwing the shuttle to the lifting the shafts is all powered by one of our weavers.
Once a piece comes off the loom it is far from complete and the finishing process enhances the natural qualities of the fibre in terms of softness, drape and lustre. Each step is done by hand in-house. The washing process has six stages with measured controls from the temperature, detergent and agitation. The tassels are individually separated by hand, the piece is brushed, pressed and steamed and the label stitched on.
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We are guardians of people’s stories...
We ourselves are stories that weave and take shape through the thread, thanks to the gentle hands of the weavers.
The yarn, the loom, our and your stories, are the tools we have chosen to make what cannot be seen or touched, real and wearable. We give shape to the values in which we believe, we give voice to stories to be shared with those dearest to us, forever.
Not just exquisite works of art to wear, but ambassadors, ‘talking’ objects, timeless storytellers of meanings and values that we want to preserve and pass on.
Meet Isabelle, one of our talented handweavers!
Isabelle has long had an interest in textiles, ever since her grandmother taught her to sew.
She discovered weaving when visiting universities before applying to study. Immediately captivated by the woven textile displays at Loughborough University – the home of our George Wood looms – She became fascinated by how these complex woven structures could be created from just a few cones of yarn.
Isabelle enjoys the slow, hands-on process of weaving, appreciating how it demands your full and present focus, and is always excited to share the complexities of handweaving to our visitors.
Meet Helen, one of our talented handweavers!
As an advocate for sustainability and ethical production, handweaving appealed to Helen as the embodiment of slow, responsible craft.
She fell in love with the challenging yet meditative weave process during her textile degree at the Glasgow School of Art.
Helen adores that she can name the alpacas in the pieces that she weaves, as this level of provenance imbues the pieces with deeper meaning for both weaver and future owner.
We choose 100% undyed British alpaca fiber for our designs because it embodies the values we hold dear: sustainability, durability, and unparalleled luxury. Each fleece is sourced from carefully chosen UK farms where animal welfare is a top priority.
Our close relationships with breeders enable us to trace many of our yarns back to the individual alpacas, ensuring exceptional quality and transparency. The alpaca’s fleeces are left undyed, allowing the natural richness and unique tones of their coats to shine through in every piece.
In the UK, only 5–10% of alpacas produce fleece of the exceptional quality we require. Every fiber is meticulously selected for its fineness, crimp, luster, and colour, ensuring our pieces meet the highest standards of luxury and craftsmanship.
It has taken years for our weavers to attain the skill and knowledge required to create our handwoven items.
Handweaving takes precision and patience, with each warp prepared by hand and meticulously threaded through the shafts of the loom. Once weaving is complete there is a lengthy finishing process involving darning, stitching, washing and brushing – all by hand.
It can take our handweavers anywhere between 2 to 6 weeks to complete one of our Signature pieces.
Each piece in our Heritage handwoven collection has been inspired by Araminta’s deep love for the natural beauty of the Scottish landscape.
From the golden glow of the beech woodlands surrounding her family home in the Royal Deeside Corridor during autumn, to the ethereal light of the Scottish Highlands at dawn and dusk, the landscape is a constant source of inspiration for Araminta. The shifting interplay of colours, textures, and natural rhythms informs each handwoven piece, translating fleeting moments into timeless design.
Any moment in time could become Araminta’s next creation.
Meet Lisa, one of our talented handweavers!
Lisa studied weaving at Heriot Watt University, in the borders of Scotland – an area renowned for its textile production.
She always enjoyed creating things and was recommended to study textiles by her art teacher. When first starting out in her weave degree, she found the slow process of setting up challenging, yet today it’s her favourite part.
She finds peace whilst threading the loom, enjoying and embracing the flow.
Each piece has been lovingly handwoven and finished in our Edinburgh Atelier by our team of handweavers on vintage George Wood looms.
Araminta Campbell is one of the largest employers of handweavers in Scotland, fostering employment for talented craftspeople in Scotland plays a vital role in preserving the rich legacy of Scottish textile craftsmanship. Every thread woven in the Atelier carries with it the heritage and passion of centuries-old traditions, brought vividly to life through contemporary designs, and the work of our talented weavers.
It has taken years for our weavers to attain the skill and knowledge required to create our handwoven items.
Handweaving takes precision and patience, with each warp prepared by hand and meticulously threaded through the shafts of the loom. Once weaving is complete there is a lengthy finishing process involving darning, stitching, washing and brushing – all by hand.
When you choose one of our handwoven treasures, you’re not just owning a piece of Scotland’s rich textile heritage – you’re connecting with the hands that brought it to life.
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