Great Tapestry of Scotland
3 March 2014
I don’t know about you, but for me Sunday afternoons are made for whiling away a few hours in galleries and museums, and with the Great Tapestry of Scotland currently at the Aberdeen Art Gallery, Sarah and I needed no further encouragement!
The tapestry was the brainchild of the author Alexander McCall Smith, to provide the nation with a record, by the people for the people, of our nation’s rich heritage.
We were expecting one large Bayeux style tapestry, but in fact there were 160 individual canvases, each around a metre square (although we couldn’t quite make it to the end before the gallery closed). They were like a children’s picture book of Scottish history, charting Scotland’s rise from the volcano’s and continental shifts, to the Battle of Flodden and the Darien Scheme to present day. However, we only made it as far as Prince Albert and Queen Victoria choosing Balmoral, in Aberdeenshire, as their holiday home (as it is much drier here than anywhere else in Scotland!)
You couldn’t help but be overwhelmed at the sheer beauty, and countless hours of workmanship that clearly had been bestowed with love on these canvases, from sewing groups from around Scotland. Each tapestry had a wee description to give it context, and we even learnt some interesting facts. One that particularly surprised us was that the Encyclopaedia Britannica was originally devised in Edinburgh during the Enlightenment. We also had to laugh when we found out that during post-war rationing, people in Speyside were more concerned that their grain was used to make whisky than worrying about having bread to eat – true Scots!
It was also interesting comparing how the different stitchers had the same canvases and threads but used different techniques to form the same objects – who knew there were so many different ways to create beards and squirrels! The different textures and shimmering royal garments that they managed to create was astonishing - it was difficult not to touch!
Sarah’s particular favourite was the ladies waulking the Harris Tweed, you could almost hear them singing as they worked. I was impressed with the atmosphere that came through on the Glencoe Massacre tapestry; it really captured the tragedy that played out in the rugged beauty of the mountains.
Although we didn’t have time to, there is a special opportunity to be part of history, and put a stitch in an Aberdeen Tapestry that has been designed by Shelagh Swanson of Oil & Glass. Don’t worry if you don’t sew, an expert is always on hand to keep you right.
After an hour and a half we were only about 2/3 of the way round, before we had to leave as the gallery was closing. A second visit is essential; we have until the 19th April 2014 to enjoy the rest of these stunning nuggets of Scottish History. Although we would recommend going early in the day at weekends to avoid the crowds!
We rounded off our day with a fresh warm scone and tea in John Lewis’s Espresso Bar – perfect!
All information is correct at the time of publishing, we recommend that you check opening times and information for individual places before visiting.