In 1993, the idea of creating a New Hampshire Tartan for the 20th Anniversary of the New Hampshire Highland Games in 1995, was initiated. Designed by handweaver, Ralf Hartwell of Newton, NH, the New Hampshire tartan is unique in its color tones, in that special dye lots must be prepared for the coloring process.
With the review and verification of the design as original and authentic by the Tartan Educational and Cultural Association and the International Association of Tartan Studies, NH State Representative Stephen Avery arranged for Governor Stephen Merrill to proclaim the Tartan as the State Tartan of New Hampshire in June of 1994. In January of 1995, Avery introduced a bill to the NH Legislature for permanent recognition, which was passed in May, 1995.
The New Hampshire Tartan is woven in Scotland and is distributed through the St. Andrew’s Society of New Hampshire. Wearables such as ties, scarves, sashes and tams are available from the Society and from Scottish shops carrying Lochcarron products. (To order items directly from the Society, click here, print out the order form and mail it in.)
All of the proceeds from sales of the New Hampshire Tartan go into the scholarship funds of the St. Andrew's Society of New Hampshire and the Scottish Scholarship Fund of New Hampshire (established by the NH Gathering of the Scottish Clans, Inc./NH Highland Games.) Both not-for-profit organizations provide financial support for the furthering of Scottish Arts and Culture, in New Hampshire and the Northeastern United States.
The colors are listed with the number of threads used to create the tartan. The sett for the New Hampshire Tartan is as follows:
green 56, black 2, green 2, black 12, white 2, black 12,
purple 2, black 2, purple 8, red 6, purple 28
Purple represents both the New Hampshire state flower, the lilac, and the state bird, the purple finch.
Green depicts our abundance of magnificent forests.
Where the purple and green weave together, there is blue representing the crystal clear lakes, rivers and streams.
White is for the snow capped White Mountains and black for the mighty granite that is so prevalent in New Hampshire.
Red is for our state heroes.
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