In the centenary year of Grant Park comes the Forres kilt with a digestive biscuit ‘baked’ in

A local woman who specialises in making bespoke kilts has designed a Forres-inspired tartan with a twist.

Andrea Chappell’s new plaid is the first of four designs based on the seasons, that will make up a quartet of fabrics focussed on the town’s colours.

The first batch, depicting winter, takes colours from the Grant Park, which celebrates its centenary this year, with a special additional colour ‘baked’ in.

The Biscuit Crumb

The wintry hues of lime trees, wet bark and lichen on the lime trees entering Grant Park, all contribute to a deep natural earthy colour, and this is contrasted with a fine line in a biscuit colour, to represent the crumbs, marking the connection with the famous baker and inventor of the Digestive biscuit, who was born in the town.

Grant Park was, of course, gifted to the town by Sir Alexander Grant, born in Forres in 1864. He left the town to work for McVitie’s in Edinburgh, and after five years in the capital he came up with the recipe for the Digestive, now probably one of the most popular biscuits ever to be made – the recipe is still a closely-guarded secret.

Andrea said: “I’m taking sample colours from very specific places at a particular time of year. In the case of this one, those colors only exist in winter when it’s wet, as when it’s warm and dry, those trees are grey! You still get the lichen, but it’s nowhere near as colourful. And you certainly don’t get a burgundy!”

Centenary of Grant Park in 2024

Andrea said the fact that the town will celebrate 100 years since Alexander Grant gifted the park is a coincidence, but nice timing nevertheless, and the biscuit colouring is just a nod to the fact he became famous in the town for his recipe.

The Biscuit Crumb tartan is now registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans to become one of the 14,000-plus it has on record.

The Biscuit Crumb Design uses seven shades picked from the colours of the lime trees in Grant Park, which exude a wonderful palette in their winter form. Andrea says her next seasonal design likely to be summer and will use the colours at the time of the summer solstice.

The IV36 initiative

She explained the tartan is made through her IV36 initiative, which champions sustainability and use of a local workforce. Through the IV36 initiative she is training others in the endangered craft of kilt-making and her workshop is a testament to her ability to reduce, recycle, reuse.

Through using every cut-off, and taking excess waste material that would otherwise be shredded for recycling, she says her approach uses less chemicals, makes less waste, and has a greater sense of purpose.

Andrea will speak about kilt-making at the upcoming Grant Park 100 celebrations, to be held in Forres on 24 August this year (2024).