Highlands and Islands Enterprise
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The Tartan Challenge

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Weave your story into ours - we have a winner!

On 1 November 2025, we celebrated our 60th anniversary. As part of this milestone, we launched a competition to design a commemorative tartan, open to all students at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). The competition attracted a wide range of creative designs from student across the UHI partnership. A judging panel shortlisted three entries that were put to an all-staff staff vote. The winning design by Fiona Helen Lane, a Gaelic student at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, was announced in March 2026. It was chosen for its creativity and visual impact in reflecting the region’s heritage and HIE’s role in shaping progress over six decades.

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The winning design

Our colleagues loved Fiona’s use of colour, which reflects the land, sea, sky and people of the region, capturing both the strength and gentle beauty of the Highlands and Islands. The use of HIE’s corporate blue and green provides a strong link to our brand, symbolising the support offered to businesses and communities across the region. The new HIE tartan will serve as a lasting symbol of the connection between people, place and opportunity.

The two other short-listed entries came from Nadia Vidinova, study Contemporary Art Practice at UHI Perth and a joint entry by Rona MacGillivray and Chase Nelson, who are both fine art students at Moray School of Art, based at UHI Moray in Elgin.

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A word from the judges

Deputy chair of HIE, Freda Newton who was one of the judges, said:

“Thank you to everyone who took the time and care to design and submit their tartans. We received a great many impressive entries, and selecting a shortlist was no easy task I congratulate Fiona on her success. We were impressed with how she drew on colours from mountains, moors and coastlines along with HIE’s corporate shades to create a vibrant tartan that symbolises many of the region’s characteristics.”

Related links

Need some more inspiration? Have a look at these pages on our website:

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We're the community and economic development agency for the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Find out what we do, how we work and how we can help you.

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