August ~ Heather on the Hills

August 2024 ~ Perthshire, Scotland

Bridge over the River Almond

Late summer in Scotland has a magical light. The endless hours of Northern Hemisphere daylight are drawing to a close. The sunsets boldly burst in gold as Autumn starts to whisper of its impending arrival. Summer makes one last stand before the colder days set in, emblazoning the Scottish hillsides in thick blankets of purple heather. A last splash of vibrant colour before orange and brown hues take over.

Picnic in the Heather

This summer, Perthshire has struggled to find two dry days back-to-back. The warmer, dryer seasons just never got off the ground this year. Last winter I was commuting 140 miles a day for work - getting up at 5am, driving for nearly two hours, arriving in the dark, working all day, then leaving in the dark to repeat the process day after day...I didn't really see daylight for months. It took it's toll but it was worth it to design tartan each and every day. Finally, after a year to the day of commuting so far, in April I moved to Perthshire...in the snow no less, hopeful for a few beautiful months of light and sunshine to make up for the long winter past.

Although this did not exactly materialise there has still been a few moments of real beauty this summer in Scotland to appreciate. August ushered in a handful of truly beautiful evenings accompanied by the heathers annual flourish. I have never seen such a thick carpet of heather on the hillsides as purple as it has been this year - perhaps something to be thankful to so much rain for.

Armed with a basket of blankets and whisky (c'mon, these are Scottish summertime essentials!), we set out to find the most purple spot we could - with beautiful success.

The River Almond

The steep hillsides tumbling into the River Almond, just outside Crieff were thick with heather bursting in vibrant purple shades. This sight encouraged me to take a moment to appreciate the seasons and all they offer. Beauty can always be found, you just have to be open to it. Easy to say when this is on your doorstep, I appreciate that completely. I'm very inspired by the changing seasons. As daft as it sounds, I feel them perhaps even more than I see them. Last year I had the chance to work on a brand new tartan collection at work, one of the best projects I've ever worked on! So many of the tartans included tell a story of Scotland's diverse and atmospheric seasonal changes. We're lucky enough here to even, famously, experience all four of the seasons often in just one day.

That one good picture you just about manage every decade so use it for everything!

One of those tartans was The Rebel tartan, part of The House of Edgar's Seventeen Eighty Three collection and a tartan that I'm proud to have worked on. Its sett is traditional with nods to many clan tartans, but the muted weathered colour palette is contemporary and androgynous. Its shades of golden brown and purple speak to August and the heather covered hills. Its name comes from the Scottish rebels who have become legendary heroes, men and women alike. This beautiful tartan was woven in the Highlands of Scotland, in Keith. The blazer was made by expert coat making factory Alexander Manufacturing in Cumbernauld in the lowlands of Scotland. I'm very grateful they made this for me, it has allowed me to enjoy a special tartan in a form I can wear everyday. I am at the beginning of a lifelong project here - creating a personal capsule wardrobe of garments made to last and made in Britain as much as possible.

The Look ~ Tartan - The House of Edgar

Tailoring - Alexander Manufacturing

Hat - Hicks & Brown

Belt - Fairfax and Favour

Jeans - Holland Cooper

Shirt - Zara, with my customisation

Captured by Greg Chalmers