The story of Scots all over the world stitched together

With just a few weeks to go, New Lanark is preparing to turn its exhibition gallery into the home of the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry.

Scots have migrated all over the world and have often had a profound impact on the areas where they settled. The Scottish Diaspora Tapestry project brings together stories from such communities, documenting their Scottish connections in 305 embroidered panels.

The complete tapestry will be on display in the exhibition gallery at New Lanark World Heritage Site on its way home from a world-wide tour. The tapestry is a heart-felt homage to the determination, courage and achievement of Scottish migrants and their descendants across the centuries.

The Biggar & District Embroiderers’ Guild, which began in 1979, is celebrating its 40th year by exhibiting a variety of embroideries and textiles created by members over the years. This exhibition will also include the embroidery ‘postcards’ created by the Scottish branches of the Embroiderers’ Guild for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

The Scottish Diaspora Tapestry was designed by Andrew Crummy, the artist behind the Great Tapestry of Scotland and the Prestonpans Tapestry, both previously exhibited at New Lanark.

New Lanark, an 18th century former cotton-spinning Mill Village and one of Scotland’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, looks forward to offering visitors the opportunity to learn more about our Scottish history in the Diaspora’s 305 embroidered panels.

Textile production and innovation has been the continuous thread throughout New Lanark’s history, from the village’s early years as the one-time largest cotton manufacturer in Scotland, to now producing over 60 shades of high-quality woollen yarn using historic textile machinery and launching the world’s first Organic Tartan in 2015.

Through this exciting partnership with the Tapestry makers, New Lanark offers the perfect backdrop for this wonderful exhibition which will be on show until the end of April.

New Lanark is delighted that the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry will be the fourth exhibition to open in its redeveloped exhibition gallery.

The exhibition, which opens at New Lanark on 2 March, runs until 28 April.

To find out more click HERE.