Fiona scoops £1,500 cash prize in student tartan design challenge

Fiona Helen Lane, a student from Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, a partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), has scooped the top cash prize of £1,500 in a competition to design a brand-new tartan for HIE.

HIE ran the competition with UHI to mark 60 years since the regional development agency (then named Highlands and Islands Development Board) was established in November 1965.

Students from across the UHI partnership were challenged to design a tartan that reflected HIE’s contribution to regional development along with the identity of the region’s people, place, heritage and culture.

Fiona is studying Gaelic through online learning with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Skye, which she balances with home-educating her six-year-old daughter and a part time job. She plans to use some of the prize money to buy a second-hand loom so she can pursue her passion for designing and weaving tartans.

Fiona’s winning entry was one of three shortlisted by a panel of judges led by HIE deputy chair Freda Newton. These were then put to the vote across all HIE colleagues. The runners up were by Nadia Vidinova a contemporary art practice student UHI Perth and a joint entry by Rona MacGillivray and Chase Nicole Nelson who are fine art students of Moray College of Art UHI Moray.

Having won the challenge, Fiona Helen Lane said:

“Taking part in the tartan competition has been a wonderful experience. As part of the competition, I got really interested in the history and significance of tartan, which led to making it a topic for an essay and presentation on my course. I also gained more of an understanding of how tartan is woven. I was fortunate that a friend lent me a loom and that has let me experiment with weaving a couple of tartan designs too. I am looking forward to weaving more and would love to upgrade to a floor loom with some of the prize money.” 

HIE deputy chair Freda Newton, who was on the judging panel, 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 and 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.”

UHI principal and vice-chancellor Vicki Nairn added:

“Creativity and innovation are at the heart of UHI, and this challenge has been a fantastic opportunity for our students to showcase both. The UHI partnership spans regions rich in heritage and culture, and it has been inspiring to see how students have expressed that identity through their designs.”

HIE has registered the winning design with the Scottish Register of Tartans as the agency’s official tartan and plans to use it in branding promotional material and merchandise.

Fiona a’ togail duais de £1,500 ann an dùbhlan dealbhaidh tartan oileanaich  

Tha Fiona Helen Lane, a tha na h-oileanach ann an Oilthigh na Gàidhealtachd ’s nan Eilean (UHI), air an duais as àirde de £1,500 a thogail ann am farpais airson tartan ùr-nodha a dhealbhadh.  

Chuir Iomairt na Gàidhealtachd ’s nan Eilean (HIE) an fharpais air adhart còmhla ri UHI gus 60 bliadhna a chomharrachadh on a chaidh am buidheann leasachaidh roinneil (Bòrd Leasachaidh na Gàidhealtachd ’s nan Eilean) a stèidheachadh san t-Samhain 1965.

Chuireadh dùbhlan air oileanaich bho air feadh com-pàirteachas UHI gu tartan a dhealbhadh a bha a’ nochdadh an tabhartais a chuir HIE ri leasachadh roinneil còmhla ri dearbh-aithne muinntir, àite, dualchas agus cultar na roinne.

Tha Fiona a’ sgrùdadh Gàidhlig air astar le Sabhal Mòr Ostaig san Eilean Sgitheanach, a’ co-chothromachadh sin le oideachadh-dachaigh a nighinn a tha sia bliadhna a dh’aois, agus obair pàirt-ùine. Tha i a’ planadh air Pàirt dhen a duais a chosg air beart ath-làimhe a cheannach, gus an urrainn dhi a h-ùidh ann an dealbhadh agus fighe thartain a leantainn.  

Bha innteart Fiona a bhuannaich mar aon de thrì a chuireadh air geàrr-liosta le pannal de bhritheamhan, air an stiùireadh le iar-chathraiche HIE, Freda Newton. Chaidh iad sin an uair sin a chur gu bhòt am measg cho-obraichean HIE uile. Anns na h-àiteachan leantainneach bha Nadia Vidinova agus co-innteart bho Rona NicGilleBhrath agus Chase Nicole Nelson.

An dèidh dhi an dùbhlan a bhuannachadh, thuirt Fiona Helen Lane:

“Tha sinn airson taing a thoirt do gach neach a chuir seachad an ùine ag obair air an tartain aca. 

Thuirt Freda Newton, iar-chathraiche HIE:

“Tha sinn airson taing a thoirt do gach neach a ghabh ùine ag obair air na tartain aca. Fhuair sinn àireamh mhòr de dh’innteartan a bha fìor mhath agus bha e doirbh a’ dèanamh taghadh airson na geàrr-liosta. Tha mi a’ cur mealadh naidheachd air Fiona air a bhith cho soirbheachail. Bha sinn air ar beò-ghlacadh le mar a tharraing i air na dathan bho na beanntan, monaidhean agus oirthirean còmhla ri tuaran coporra HIE, gus tartan dathail a tha a’ samhlachadh mòran de fheartan na roinne.”

Tha HIE air an dealbhadh a bhuannaich a chlàradh le Clàr Thartain na h-Alba mar an tartan oifigeil aig a’ bhuidheann, agus a’ planadh air a chleachdadh ann an stuthan adhartachaidh brannd is bathar-reic.