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Our Tartan Army, marches with Pride in Edinburgh’s First Ever Tartan Parade.
Our Tartan Army, marches with Pride in Edinburgh’s First Ever Tartan Parade
On the 10th May 2025 in Edinburgh, the sun was shining, and the city’s Old Town was alive with colour, bagpipes, and the unmistakable swish of kilts as the first-ever Tartan Parade Scotland made its way down the Royal Mile. Among the proud marchers was a particularly special group — us, the Grassmarket Community Project, this parade brought a heartfelt blend of creativity, resilience, and community spirit to our historic city.
The Grassmarket Community Project has long provided a vital support network for people experiencing homelessness, social isolation, or mental health challenges. But on this festive day, we took to the streets not as volunteers or staff — but as celebrated contributors to Scotland’s cultural identity.
Unlike the centuries-old family tartans worn by many parade-goers, we donned our own Greyfriars Tartan. This bespoke tartan doesn’t belong to a single clan. It tells a broader, deeper story: one of belonging, transformation, and the threads that bind us together as a community.
Gayle Porter led the first ever Tartan Parade with Kyle Dawson – President of New York’s Tartan week and over 1600 participants including pipe bands and highland dancers. The Tartan Parade, in its inaugural year, was designed to honour the richness of Scottish culture and celebrate Edinburgh’s 900th anniversary.
“Marching down the Royal Mile alongside our incredible staff and volunteers, proudly wearing our own tartan, was a truly uplifting experience. It was a fantastic day full of pride and community spirit,” said Catherine, the Project’s Director of Social Enterprises.
Participating in the parade marked a milestone for the Project. “This wasn’t just about celebrating Scotland’s history,” said Helene Van der Ploeg, CEO of the Grassmarket Community Project. “It was about showing how inclusive and evolving our national identity really is. People from all walks of life, including those who’ve experienced incredible hardship, deserve to be seen, celebrated, and represented in public life.”
Anne one of our volunteers said “It was a fantastic experience to March on behalf of the Grassmarket Tartans and to showcase our amazing Tartan. To share this with our very own Tartan army was super special….roll on the next one!”
As the crowd cheered and the pipes played, our Grassmarket tartan banner proudly displayed in front of us – a symbol not just of our Scottish identity, but of what’s possible when people come together in support and solidarity.
Our presence at the parade was a reminder of our greatest strength: our people. And as we continue to walk forward — together — we carry that strength with us, stitched into every thread of our tartan and every heart of our community.
“To share this with our very own Tartan army was super special….roll on the next one!”
Join our Tartan Army!
We’re on the lookout for enthusiastic volunteers to support out Tartan Social Enterprise.
If your skilled at machine or hand stitching, we’d love to hear from you! Not handy with a needle and thread? No problem, we also need reliable friendly helpers in our shop to assist with selling our stunning Greyfriars Tartan products.
Whether you are an experienced sewer or simply passionate about supporting a good cause, then there’s a place for you in our team!
Get in touch at [email protected] and help keep our charity running on stitch at a time!
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A BIG THANK YOU
The Grassmarket Community Project’s Members Programme relies on the generosity of our customers, funders and donors. Our key funders for this area of our work are Nationwide Community Grants, The Robertson Trust, Digital Lifelines and EVOC/Scottish Government Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund. We thank them for their essential continued support.
