The official launch of the Greyfriars Tartan

We now have our own Greyfriars Tartan. 

Paul Moffat, who designed the Greyfriars Tartan on his computer, sat down with Richard Frazer, the minister, and they discussed the colours that should be used for this special project. Here is how the colours were chosen:

Brown – The location of the present day Kirk of the Greyfriars sits in the garden of the medieval Franciscan Friary. The Colour of the habit of the Greyfriars is, notwithstanding the name, generally brown. We felt it was good to acknowledge the long and continuous worship of God and service to the community that has been undertaken in our parish and to recognise the fact that the Reformed Kirk of the Greyfriars acknowledged by its choice of name the good work the pre-Reformation Franciscans had done.

Blue – Greyfriars, Tolbooth and Highland Kirk is a congregation of the Church of Scotland and is the first church built in Edinburgh after the Reformation of 1560 and blue is generally the colour of the Church of Scotland.

Purple – is often regarded as a ecclesiastical colour. It is used liturgically during the seasons of Advent and Lent to signify preparation and penance in advance of the major Festivals of Christmas and Easter.

Terracotta – Greyfriars, Tolbooth & Highland Kirk is a result of a number of unions of churches in the Old Town of Edinburgh. It is good to remember the family of congregations from which the present church has sprung. One is Lady Yester’s Kirk in Infirmary Street. Yester is a district in East Lothian and one of the characteristic colours one sees there is the pan tile roofs of many of its old buildings, hence the use of terracotta.

Gold – Many people have felt that a golden thread or string weaves its way around all spiritual traditions, a sign of the life of the Spirit of God in the souls of all humanity, for the “Holy Spirit blows where it wills” (John 3:8) and is not restricted to one religious tradition. The idea was referred to in William Blake’s prophetic book, Jerusalem,   "I give you the end of a golden string, Only wind it into a ball, It will let you in at Heaven's Gate built in Jerusalem's Wall."