The Callanish Wedding Tartan
Behold the Callanish
Scotland’s tribute to love, created in the colours of nature and inspired by the ancient Callanish Standing Stones.
The Callanish Tartan is The World’s most iconic Scottish Wedding Tartan, and is described as a stunning blend of heritage and romance in the beautiful colours of nature.
‘A Love Woven in Time’
The colours of The Callanish Tartan are exquisite and elegant for The Bride, yet rugged and robust for The Groom.
Designed for bride and groom
The colours of Callanish
Wedding dresses, modern separates and coordinated tailoring show how the tartan can be worn in many different ways.
The oatmeal and pebble stone background colour of The Callanish Tartan symbolises The Callanish Stones themselves. The lichen border denotes the mosses and ferns around the place, whilst the sultry grey overchecks betoken the long eerie shadows cast through The Stones every month by the glowing light of the Full Moon, or the rising sun each bright morning.
The bracken mixture central overcheck represents the heather hills and peat bogs around The Callanish site, and the rufous red central overcheck is a tribute to Robert Burns poem ’My Love is like a red, red rose’, penned in 1794.
Woven in Scotland
From the loom
The subtle checks and natural tones can be seen taking shape in the cloth itself.
In the beginning, The Callanish Tartan was commissioned by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 16th March 2010 at Buckingham Palace, when Malcolm the weaver was introduced to Her Majesty and beguiled her with stories of wool, of sheep, of Harris Tweed, of Tartan and of Scotland’s textile heritage.
Wedding inspiration
A tartan for two
Bridal organza, tweed tailoring and accessories create a coordinated look without making every outfit the same.
The designer
Malcolm Campbell
Her Majesty invited Malcolm to visit the magnificent Kensington Palace to see the Royal Archives of clothes that had been worn by Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales.
It was enthralling to see Queen Victoria’s favourite outfits, the Balmoral Tartan, which Prince Albert had designed for his Queen in 1853. Queen Victoria had bought Balmoral Castle in 1847.
Royal inspiration
Regal heritage dates back to 1822, when King George IV visited Edinburgh with Sir Walter Scott, and revived the use of Tartan as a symbol of Scotland’s national identity and pride.
The Balmoral Tartan and the magical Callanish Stone Circle on the Isle of Lewis were the textile design inspiration behind The Callanish Tartan.
This was the first-ever Harris Tweed tartan registered by The Scottish Register of Tartans, and the beautiful design has been dedicated to the memory of the majestic reigns of both Queen Victoria (1837-1901) and Queen Elizabeth II (1952-2022).
The spirit of the stones
The Callanish Stone Circle stands proud and sentinel on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis. The magic and the mystery surrounding the magnificent Callanish Stone site date all the way back to when The Stones were first erected in 2,639BC, almost 5,000 years ago.
The full Moon at its major standstill over the Callanish Stones appears and sets behind ‘Cliusham ’, one of the Harris hills, and every 18 years and 7 months, it rises from behind the sacred hill and skims over the horizon for four hours, caressing the slender body of the maiden of the mountains, before gently settling behind the Harris hills once more.
The Callanish Tartan is an elegant ensemble, unique, exclusive and enchanting, worn by brides and grooms together to honour the union of two lovers with the enhanced magic of love, passion, fidelity and life together created from the timeless spirit and the sacred energy of the ancient Callanish Standing Stones.
Handcrafted in Scotland using traditional techniques and sustainable, recyclable materials, which, in the words of King Charles III, keep Scotland’s heritage skills alive.
Behold the legend of Callanish and the influence of The Balmoral Tartan – a celebration of love, heritage and timeless romance awaits.
