Kiltmaking for Veterans is a practical, skills-based course for Scottish veterans, delivered by Làmhan and taught by veteran and professional kiltmaker Hannah MacFarlane of Thistle and Cloth. The project has taken almost 18 months to develop and secure funding, and we are incredibly grateful to Stirling Voluntary Enterprise for the grant that has made it possible to get the programme off the ground.
The course will take place at the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Museum at Stirling Castle and will bring together a small group of veterans to learn traditional, hand-sewn kiltmaking techniques. Over several months, participants will work at a steady pace in a supportive environment, developing technical skills, confidence, and focus through making.
Participants will work collectively on kilts made from a new tartan developed by Hannah in collaboration with Lochcarron, and in consultation with members of the Scots Veterans’ Pipe Band. The finished kilts will be worn by the band, meaning the work created during the course will have a clear purpose beyond the workshop.
Hannah MacFarlane stitching a kilt on a sunnier day in Ardgay
Why kiltmaking?
Traditional kiltmaking is currently listed as an endangered craft on the Heritage Crafts Association Red List. There are relatively few practitioners, training routes are limited, and the cost of learning is high. Becoming a skilled kiltmaker requires time, specialist knowledge, and access to expensive materials, all of which make entry into the craft difficult.
Without active support for training and transmission, there is a real risk that these skills will continue to decline. Kiltmaking for Veterans responds to this by removing financial barriers and creating structured, supported time to learn. It treats craft skills as something worth sustaining, not only for their cultural significance, but for the people who learn and carry them forward.
The Colours Room at the Museum. This is where our students will be learning. The flag in the centre right of the picture in the frame was at Balaclava.
Making, mental health, and focus
This course is not a therapy programme, but it recognises the mental health benefits of working with your hands. Slow, skilled making requires concentration, patience, and presence. It gives shape to time. Progress is visible, but it cannot be rushed.
For many veterans, particularly those adjusting to life after service, this kind of focused, practical work can be grounding. The course will offer space to concentrate, to learn, and to contribute without pressure or judgement. It values process as much as outcome.
Hannah (at the podium) and Jo (next to the screen) presenting the project at the Scottish Parliament in January.
Hannah’s experience
Hannah served for 13 years in the Royal Air Force and the Army, playing in military bands. After being medically discharged, she experienced the loss of structure and identity that many veterans face when leaving service.
Learning kiltmaking became a way back into meaningful work. Over time, it gave her a renewed sense of purpose and direction, eventually becoming her profession. As both a veteran and a kiltmaker, Hannah brings a particular understanding to the course — of military culture, of transition, and of the value of quiet, skilled work.
Why Làmhan is involved
Làmhan’s involvement in this project comes from personal experience and long-term observation of how service affects people and families.
Jo, the founder of Làmhan, grew up seeing the impact of military service through her grandfather. He was clearly affected by his experiences, though at the time there was no language for what we would now recognise as PTSD. Those effects shaped family life in quiet, lasting ways.
Jo also has close friends who are veterans and has seen how difficult it can be to move out of service and into civilian life, particularly when structure, routine, and shared purpose fall away. Alongside this, her father is a retired police officer, bringing a different but related family experience of public service, exposure to risk, and long-term impact.
Scottish identity, craft, and use
Kiltmaking carries particular weight in Scotland. For many veterans, kilts are not abstract symbols but practical garments tied to service, ceremony, and music. They are worn, cared for, altered, repaired, and passed on.
The kilts made during the course are not practice pieces or samples; they are being made to be worn by the Scots Veterans’ Pipe Band. Participants will know who the kilts are for and where they will be used. The work connects directly to people, events, and communities that already exist.
Jo with Norrie Gillies, who is a serving Army Piper and runs the Scots Veterans Pipe Band.
Veterans’ pipe bands and collective work
The involvement of the Scots veterans pipe bands, including the work being done by Norrie and others, reflects the importance of peer-led spaces for veterans. These bands provide continuity, belonging, and a reason to keep turning up.
This course allows participants to contribute to that wider community in a practical way. The work is collective. Everyone is equal. Everyone involved will know who the kilts are for, and why they matter.
About the course
Kiltmaking for Veterans is free of charge and open to Scottish veterans only. Places are limited, and participants are expected to commit to attending all sessions within their chosen course block. While no formal qualifications are required, it will be helpful if applicants have some previous sewing experience, as the course focuses on traditional hand-sewn techniques.
This is not intended to be a quick or intensive course. The programme is deliberately spread over four blocks, with space between sessions, so participants have time to practise, reflect, and consolidate skills before moving on. Kiltmaking takes time, and the structure of the course reflects that.
The course is designed to run primarily at weekends to make it more accessible to people with work or childcare commitments, including the tutor. Sessions will run from 10:00am to 4:00pm, with a break for lunch. Participants are encouraged to bring a packed lunch; there is access to a kitchen and fridge on site. Tea and coffee will be available free of charge throughout the day.
This course represents the first stage of what we hope, in time, will become a longer programme, offering further opportunities for learning and continued involvement beyond this initial phase, subject to funding and capacity.
COURSE DATES
Group 1: March – May 27, 28, 29 March 24, 25, 26 April 2–3 May 16–17 May
Group 2: June – July 5, 6, 7 June 19, 20, 21 June 4–5 July 11–12 July
Group 3: September – November 11, 12, 13 September 25, 26, 27 September 24–25 October 14–15 November
The programme is funded by Stirling Voluntary Enterprise and delivered by Làmhan.
If you are a Scottish veteran and are interested in taking part, please complete the application form.
