Andrew Crummy, the artist who designed every panel on The Great Tapestry of Scotland, stumbled across a World Cup opportunity enjoyed by one of his panels on the other side of the world. We know what you are thinking. How can you find a connection between embroidered tapestry and the world cup? Well, we can! […]

Join us to celebrate World Gaelic Week 2026 This is World Gaelic Week and we are taking the opportunity to highlight the telling of Gaelic’s story in stitch. Gaelic language and culture is celebrated quite spectacularly in panels from Alexander’s The Great Tapestry of Scotland. (We say of course ‘Alexander’s’ but he knows and we […]

Alexander was delighted to receive the news that his great friend Alistair Moffat had been awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours. The award was given for services to literature and culture. Alistair Moffat MBE, an award-winning writer and historian, is author of more than 30 books mostly on aspects of Scotland and Scottish […]

From the archive… ‘Very moving, very beautiful… What I love about this, all of it, is it is proper art. I mean the colour and Andrew’s design is real art but at the same time it is popular art – proper and popular art at the same time. Everyone can understand it. Everyone can relate […]

Thirteen tapestries – a baker’s dozen – and all designed by artist Andrew Crummy – the artist behind The Great Tapestry of Scotland, will be on display in Scotland over 10 days, from 9th to 18th March. This is a remarkable achievement. The baker’s dozen of tapestries are: 1. The Great Tapestry of Scotland, Galashiels2. […]

Alexander is amongst a group of Internationally renowned authors who have helped launch a new initiative to inspire Scotland’s future literary greats – 300 words Acclaimed authors Sir Alexander McCall Smith, Julia Donaldson, Jackie Kay, Damian Barr and Alan Windram are today (Monday 11 March 2024) supporting the launch of a new initiative by an […]

Alexander McCall Smith’s poetry for The Great Tapestry of Scotland is turning history into music. Alexander selected six panels from The Great Tapestry of Scotland and created a poem for each. Long-time friend and composer Tom Cunningham wrote music and David Lyle arranged them for voice – one superb soloist and a lovely young children’s […]

The new home for The Great Tapestry of Scotland is now open to the public. You can book to visit Thursday to Monday in any week. The quite stunning new building, designed by Page Park, is situated on the High Street in Galashiels, a Scottish Borders town situated in the historic home of the textiles […]

Alexander travelled down to Galashiels in the Scottish Borders yesterday for the great unveiling of the new, purpose built centre which now houses The Great Tapestry of Scotland. It was a joyous day for all involved in this eleven year project. The Great Tapestry of Scotland Centre will open its doors to the public on […]

Members of the public are being offered the chance to contribute a stitch to welcome panels to go on show at the new permanent home for the Great Tapestry of Scotland. The seed of the idea for the Great Tapestry of Scotland came from Alexander McCall Smith. He shared his dream with historian Alistair Moffat and artist Andrew Crummy and, […]

Every panel stitched for The Great Tapestry of Scotland is currently on display in a new exhibition in New Lanark Visitor Centre. For the first time, the panels are exhibited alongside the story of the making of the tapestry—Andrew Crummy’s sketches and artwork, photographs of the stitchers during the stitching process, the guidance from head […]