Tartan

South Georgia has a long association with Scotland. To celebrate the connection between the history and heritage of the two regions, in July 2022 a dedicated tartan design for South Georgia was entered into the Scottish Register of Tartans.

The tartan design is rich in symbolism. Each of the seven colours represents a key element of the South Georgia environment.

The starting point for the design was the British explorer Captain James Cook. Cook landed on the island of South Georgia in 1775 and claimed for it for Great Britain in the name of King George III. Cook’s father was a farm labourer in Roxburghshire. To mark that historic link, the design is based on the Red Roxburgh tartan of circa 1850.

The vastness of the south Atlantic Ocean is the over-riding image of the Tartan marked by the prevalence of blue, and the single ‘red’ line represents the fisheries patrol vessel, protecting through presence, in the midst of the vast blue south Atlantic Ocean. On the edge of that ocean is green for the biologically diverse coastal strip of the island, flanked by yellow for the millions of king penguins that make it their home, and purple for the abundant burnet plant which colours the coastal fringe.

The brightest element of the design is white for the ice and the glaciers that dominate the interior and shape South Georgia’s landforms. Finally, the grey of the centrepiece represents the seven former whaling sites. That grey represents not just the whales of yesteryear but also the vast number of birds and seals that breed on the islands and the fish in what is now a Marine Protected Area.

Together, these elements represent a story of hope: a remote island which is protected by presence and home to an ecosystem in recovery.

The tartan is intended to be worn by those who have an affinity with South Georgia. This may be visiting the Territory, working to protect the environment which inspired the design or who have hopes to visit one day and make a contribution to this special place.

Technical Details

Design: Bee Design

Printer: Cartor

Process: Stochastic lithography

Perforation: 13 ¼ x 13 ½ per 2cms

Stamp size: 42 x 28mm

Sheet layout: 10 (with Tartan selvedge)

Release date: 23 October, 2024

Production Co-ordination: Creative Direction (Worldwide) Ltd