A Day at the Races - Musselburgh District Tartan

Musselburgh tartan is a district tartan, meaning that it is not associated or linked to any clan, but to the area of Musselburgh itself. The tartan was first designed in 1956 in order to commemorate the town’s ‘Riding of the Marches’ celebrations, with the design consisting of a mainly blue base with red, yellow and white running through it. With written evidence of the Riding going back to 1682, this tradition changed from a religious procession before the Reformation, when the Church protected communal lands from encroachment, to a fierce marking of territories to prevent them being pillaged and lost. Today the Principals, also know as the Honest Lad and Lass, lead the cavalcade (on horseback) around the same route to mark the boundaries. You can go and watch the spectacle in July and if you have lived in Musselburgh, Whitecraig or Wallyford for 8 years you can even stand to be the Honest Lad or Lass yourself.

Musselburgh, the town for which the tartan is named, is the largest town within the county of East Lothian and is situated on the south coast of the Forth Estuary, 5 miles east of Edinburgh. The county of East Lothian was more commonly known as Haddingtonshire in the 19^thCentury. The area was renowned for its extremely fertile lands and was at the forefront of the agricultural revolution in the late 1700s.

The town’s name refers to the ‘mussel’, which is a species of shellfish common in the Forth Estuary; and ‘burgh’ which is Old English for town. The gaelic name for Musselburgh is ‘Baile nam Feusgan’. Musselburgh was made a burgh of barony around 1315, 14 years before Edinburgh, which became a burgh in 1329. This is commemorated in popular local song in Scots:

Musselburgh Racecourse is the second largest racecourse in Scotland, with the first being Ayr. The first races in Musselburgh were held in 1777 but moved to the sands at Leith between 1789 and 1816, although some races were still occasionally held in Musselburgh itself. The racecourse became a permanent fixture in the town in 1816, at a course laid out by the town council. Musselburgh racecourse is unusual in that it holds both flat and jump racing depending on the season and will hold 26 races in the 2020 calendar.

In addition to horse racing, each year the annual New Year Sprint is held at Musselburgh Racecourse. This foot race is the oldest enduring athletic event in the UK, consisting of a handicap race held over 110 metres. The New Year Sprint, which has been held since 1870, welcomes both amateur and professional runners who compete for prize money totalling thousands of pounds. Our mascot Tam the Tailor had a wee go in 2019 but sadly didn't win the cash!

Ahead of the launch of our Spring Collection, ScotlandShop spent the day at Musselburgh Racecourse to get some shots of our Musselburgh tartan in action. Despite the wild winds coming in off the sea and our photographer, Orla, nearly passing out with the cold the Musselburgh Tartan suit worn by our model Robbie looked great trackside. We made it on super slim block to give a modern fit, adding lapels to the waistcoat so worn with or without a jacket this is a beautifully tailored outfit. A bold colour for the satin back finished off the waistcoat and makes a statement. You can match this to the lining of your jacket or choose a more subtle toning colour if you prefer.