The Scottish Tartans Authority (STA) is a Scottish

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 based organisation dedicated to promoting the knowledge of Scottish tartan

Tartan

Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...

s. It was first formed in 1995 by former members of the Scottish Tartans Society

Scottish Tartans Society

The Scottish Tartans Society , now defunct, was a society committed to the recording and preservation of woven tartan designs from around the world; it maintained the Register of All Publicly Known Tartans. The society was first formed in 1963 and existed for about 40 years...

. The Scottish Tartans Authority maintains a database, called the International Tartan Index, with about 6,000 entries (though the number of different tartans is about 3,500). Membership of the Scottish Tartans Authority is mostly made up of parties in the tartan industry, such as weavers and retailers, yet membership may be purchased by anyone. The Scottish Tartans Authority is a recognised as a charity

Charitable organization

A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...

 in Scotland. Funding for the Scottish Tartans Authority is provided by member companies involved in the weaving and tartan industry in Scotland.

Overview

The Scottish Tartans Authority was first formed in 1995, by former members of the now-defunct Scottish Tartans Society

Scottish Tartans Society

The Scottish Tartans Society , now defunct, was a society committed to the recording and preservation of woven tartan designs from around the world; it maintained the Register of All Publicly Known Tartans. The society was first formed in 1963 and existed for about 40 years...

. The membership of the Scottish Tartans Authority is largely made up of members of the Scottish weaving industry. About 75 percent of tartan production in Scotland is thus represented. The Scottish Tartans Authority is also a recognised charity in Scotland. The database of the Scottish Tartans Authority is known as the International Tartan Index (ITI). The purpose of the ITI is to record all known tartan designs, and to provide a "register" for people to register their own designs. This database is very similar to, and was originally based on, the Register of All Publicly Known Tartans of the Scottish Tartans Society, but contains twice as many entries – about 6,000, though this number is inflated by mistakes and duplicated designs; accordingly the STA's website lists about only 3,500 different tartans as of 2004. STA is affiliated with the merged International Association of Tartan Studies and Tartan Educational and Cultural Association (IATS/TECA), based in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, whose TartanArt database also formed part of the basis of the ITI.

The Scottish Tartans Authority, like the Scottish Tartans Society, was granted a coat of arms by the Lord Lyon King of Arms

Lord Lyon King of Arms

The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest...

. The arms, granted in 2004, contain a shuttle

Shuttle (weaving)

A shuttle is a tool designed to neatly and compactly store weft yarn while weaving. Shuttles are thrown or passed back and forth through the shed, between the yarn threads of the warp in order to weave in the weft....

, an ell measure, and a book. Also included upon the arms is a white fret on a blue background. This symbolises the weaving process in making a tartan, and alludes to St Andrew's cross which appears upon Scotland's national flag, the Saltire

Flag of Scotland

The Flag of Scotland, , also known as Saint Andrew's Cross or the Saltire, is the national flag of Scotland. As the national flag it is the Saltire, rather than the Royal Standard of Scotland, which is the correct flag for all individuals and corporate bodies to fly in order to demonstrate both...

. The heraldic motto, "Weave truth with trust", is borrowed from The Worshipful Company of Weavers

Worshipful Company of Weavers

The Worshipful Company of Weavers is the most ancient of the Livery Companies in the City of London. It existed in the year 1130, and was perhaps formed earlier. The Company received a Royal Charter in 1180. At present, the Company retains a connection to textiles through its contributions to the...

, a London livery company

Livery Company

The Livery Companies are 108 trade associations in the City of London, almost all of which are known as the "Worshipful Company of" the relevant trade, craft or profession. The medieval Companies originally developed as guilds and were responsible for the regulation of their trades, controlling,...

first awarded a Royal Charter in 1155.

Membership in the Scottish Tartans Authority is open to anyone, with fees ranging from £30 yearly to £275 for a lifetime membership as of 2008. The Scottish Tartans Authority maintains a website which lists about 3,500 different tartans, though detailed information of each design is limited to subscribing members.