Keith Kilt School was originally established in 1994 to train former millworkers from Keith and district in the traditional art of kilt making following the demise of the Kynochs and Laidlaws woollen mills. The school has gone from strength to strength and now offers a wide range of courses encompassing the traditional skills of kilt-making along with a comprehensive set of textile and craft workshops. It’s here in this friendly, encouraging and relaxed environment where I re-trained to learn my craft, completed in 2020 and dedicated in the SQA Kilt featured here.

Introductory Kiltmaking Courses are held several times a year for students who wants to complete a kilt in 12 days. Weekly classes provide regular tuition by the ever-patient, master kiltmaker Linda Ghillies, who guides students who wish to take the practise further to achieve their SQA qualification in Traditional Kiltmaking. This customised award, specific to the Keith Kilt School, supports the continuation of the historic hand stitched technique. Students learn both hand and machine skills and study the bespoke fitting and construction of different styles of kilts.

Visit the Keith Kilt and Textile Centre Facebook page here.