We were honoured to be invited by Heritage Crafts to speak at their event held at the Scottish Parliament. It was a wonderful evening, bringing together talented makers from across Scotland to celebrate traditional crafts, share experiences and discuss the future of our heritage skills.
The event provided a fantastic opportunity to meet fellow craftspeople, catch up with familiar faces and hear about the inspiring work being done to safeguard traditional skills throughout the country.
We were invited to speak about traditional kiltmaking and the challenges facing the craft today. In particular, we discussed how hand-sewn kiltmaking came to be included on the Heritage Crafts Red List of Endangered Crafts, highlighting the decline in professional kiltmakers and the very real risk of losing skills that have been passed down through generations.
Although the listing was a difficult moment for the craft, it has also become a catalyst for positive change. Raising awareness has encouraged more people to discover traditional kiltmaking and understand the importance of preserving these historic techniques.
At The Kiltmakery, we are proud to be playing our part in securing the future of the craft. Through our in-person and online kiltmaking courses, we are teaching new generations of makers using authentic hand-sewn methods. Our supportive community gives students the confidence to continue developing their skills long after their course has finished, while our forthcoming book on traditional kiltmaking will help preserve this knowledge for years to come.
Saving a heritage craft is not something that one person or organisation can do alone. It requires a community of makers, teachers, organisations and supporters all working towards the same goal. Events like this are incredibly important because they give endangered crafts a platform and help ensure that their stories are heard.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone at Heritage Crafts for inviting us to speak and for continuing to champion traditional skills across the UK. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to shine a light on traditional kiltmaking and to share both the challenges and the hope for its future.
Together, we can ensure that this iconic Scottish craft continues to be practised, appreciated and passed on for generations to come.