02 Jun 2023
Creating the artefacts of tomorrow with the tools of yesteryear
Our New Limited Edition Handwoven Tartan from Dawn to Dusk
We are delighted to be launching our new HERITAGE tartan design in two colourways, Highlands at Dawn and Highlands at Dusk now in handwoven alpaca as well as the millwoven lambswool, showcasing how luxury tartan can be soft, stylish and sustainable.
We keep our handwoven HERITAGE tartans limited to only 12 pieces for each product in the collection because Araminta herself views these pieces as her works of art, her paintings in print form on sumptuously soft Alpaca. Araminta’s art-based background has lead her on a journey to create artworks to be worn. As Araminta explains “Art should make you feel good, so why not wear it and feel your best at all times. We know our beautiful art pieces achieve this. “
The Highlands at Dawn is a tartan of beautiful soft green and blue hues with burnt orange and apricot overcheck and The Highlands at Dusk is made up a wonderful deep but soft dark blue with a raspberry red overcheck with an earthy light brown running through. Colours that are impactful but can move from day to night.
This alpaca line of the HERITAGE collection has been hand woven in their turreted gothic atelier outside Edinburgh, each piece taking up to three weeks to make on vintage George Wood looms. Once handwoven, each piece undergoes a handstitched finish to create the tassels and boasts handwoven selvedges on each side for the perfect finish. With enduring elegance and the quality to last a lifetime, every piece goes through a specific hand washing and finishing process to create the unexpected softness we can achieve by working with the most exceptional fibre available in the UK.
Inspiration for the Design
With her childhood holidays spent exploring the highlands, the new HERITAGE tartans are inspired by the arresting view from Araminta’s grandparents’ house in the highlands of Scotland during sunrise and sunset. The impressive skies depicted in the tartan showcase the clean Highland air and the display of colour over the inspiring Scottish mountains at dawn and dusk. Each bringing a unique display of colour and richness of nature.
Natural Plant Dyeing
The HERITAGE collection not only finds its inspiration in nature, but the very colours that are seen in the yarn have been skilfully drawn out from nature. Using a highly skilled natural plant dying process, Araminta has meticulously colour matched each of the yarn colours used in her tartan providing an exquisite colour palette that perfectly reflects nature. With an exquisite colour palette, you are able to treasure the yarn colours.
Araminta, our CEO and Creative Director
“The launch our new Heritage tartan ‘Highlands at Dawn and Highlands at dusk’ shows how we seamlessly are able to weave stories into luxury alpaca cloth. The sunrises and sunsets I have witnessed as a child staying at my grandparents’ house are vibrantly captured and woven into the softest British alpaca.”
Araminta Campbell are the largest producers of handwoven tartan in Scotland. Collaborating with luxury giants such as Fortnum & Mason, The Fife Arms, Braemar and The Royal Scotsman train among others, the launch of this new handwoven HERITAGE collection sees Araminta Campbell showcasing her exceptional design skills in luxury tartan. Each product in the collection is one of 12 pieces, a limited edition. Araminta Campbell employ graduate handweavers who work in their beautiful atelier, they undergo at least a year’s training to be able to weave our full collection. A full-time weaver can produce a maximum of 60 items a year, each piece is one of not many.
The same HERITAGE tartan is also available in our limited edition artisan millwoven line, with a finite number of each piece being produced, this collection is crafted from the finest lambswool and millwoven by Scottish artisan weavers.
See the whole collection HERE.
"*" indicates required fields
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.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
"*" indicates required fields
