Fèis Phàislig has unveiled its own official tartan to mark 10 years of the Renfrewshire-based traditional music and Gaelic arts charity.
The bespoke design, which has been officially registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans, will be shown publicly for the first time at the charity’s sold-out 10th anniversary concert at Paisley Town Hall on Saturday 7th February.
The tartan was revealed ahead of the landmark concert, worn as a kilt by Fèis Phàislig director Grant MacFarlane, while Gaelic singer and broadcaster Joy Dunlop modelled a bespoke dress made from the new design.
More than 500 people will attend the anniversary event, which will feature over 150 performers who have taken part in Fèis Phàislig activities over the past decade. For those unable to attend in person, the concert will be streamed live and free on YouTube.
The idea for a commemorative tartan came from discussions with young people involved in the organisation, who were keen to find a creative way to mark the milestone. The design was developed in partnership with Paisley-based Houston Kiltmakers, who supported the project in kind.
The tartan features a vibrant blue base, alongside lighter blue, green, orange and yellow threads, reflecting the energy, creativity and community spirit at the heart of the charity’s work.
Grant MacFarlane said the tartan represents both the organisation’s first decade and its future direction.
“It’s a proud moment to unveil our commemorative Fèis Phàislig tartan,” he said. “It’s a lasting marker of our first ten years and a way of contributing something new to Scottish tradition. It was important that this idea came from our young people, as they are at the heart of everything we do.”
The anniversary concert will also include the premiere of a newly commissioned Gaelic song, Òran Fèis Phàislig, written by singer-songwriter Gillebrìde MacMillan. The song celebrates music, language and place, and reflects the charity’s journey since it was founded in 2015.
Since its launch, Fèis Phàislig has grown from a single summer event into one of Scotland’s largest Fèis programmes, providing year-round tuition and performance opportunities in traditional music and song for young people across Renfrewshire.
The 10th anniversary concert takes place on Saturday 7th February at Paisley Town Hall, with the free livestream available worldwide via YouTube.
Headline photo: Fèis Phàislig director and accordion player Grant McFarlane and Gaelic singer and broadcaster Joy Dunlop pose inside the grand interior of Paisley Town Hall alongside Ewan MacDonald of Houston Kiltmakers. The charity is marking its 10th anniversary with a special concert at the venue on Saturday 7th February, with Grant and Joy set to present the event wearing a specially designed Fèis Phàislig tartan created by Houston Kiltmakers in Paisley
Photo credit: Jamie Simpson
Headline photo: A close-up view of the specially designed Fèis Phàislig tartan, created by Houston Kiltmakers in Paisley to mark the charity’s 10th anniversary and reflecting the energy, creativity and community spirit at the heart of its work
Photo credit: Jamie Simpson