Press Releases

Waverley Notebooks are made from genuine British tartan cloth. Popular for their quality, colour and FSC paper and recycled content, the notebooks are inspired by Scottish landscape, nature, Scottish tradition, heritage, and history. The idea of an island, mountain, loch or history itself is inspirational in a notebook, and makes a gift to a friend or oneself. Each notebook comes in a clear biodegradable bag. The image here shows Dress Stewart Tartan Notebooks, available in each format. 

Dress Stewart Tartan

It is an arisaid sett of the Royal Stewart tartan – a Dress version of the Royal Stewart. It was common for dress tartans to exchange the key colours with white to achieve a more formal look. These white patterns were known as arisaids (or arasaids) – worn as a dress – a long, feminine version of the masculine belted plaid. These white-based tartans in!uenced dance and dress tartans. It owes its prominence as a Stewart tartan today, to the favour of Queen Victoria – part of the enduring in!uence of her 64-year reign. Just as King George IV’s visit in 1822 was pivotal in the story of tartan, Queen Victoria was to bring her own in!uence to bear in the continuing popularity of tartan and Highland Dress. Victoria was crowned Queen in 1838. In 1842 the Queen and Prince Albert made their first visit to Scotland. The young Victoria was keen to explore her northern kingdom, having been greatly excited by Sir Walter Scott’s novels.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert fell in love with the Highlands and purchased Balmoral in 1848, and land surrounding it. A new Castle was completed in 1856 and it has been the Scottish home of the Royal Family ever since. At Balmoral, Prince Albert personally took care of the interior design, where he made great use of tartan. He utilised the red Royal Stewart and the green Hunting Stewart tartans for carpets, and the Dress Stewart for curtains and upholstery. The Queen designed the Victoria tartan, and Prince Albert designed the Balmoral tartan which remains the exclusive tartan of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom today. The Dress Stewart tartan became wildly popular after it was adopted by Queen Victoria and the ladies of the royal household at Balmoral. By establishing an annual royal residence at Balmoral, the royal family greatly increased the appeal of Scotland as a tourist destination and helped to spread the use of tartan far beyond the borders of Scotland.