Scottish Tartans Authority

rdf:langString Scottish Tartans Authority

rdf:langString The Scottish Tartans Authority (STA) is a Scotland-based organisation dedicated to preserving and promoting knowledge of Scottish tartans and Highland dress. It was formed in 1996 by former members of the Scottish Tartans Society (STS). The organisation is dedicated to informing and educating the public about tartan, to facilitating research into tartan and Scottish heritage, to representing and supporting the businesses involved in the tartan sector and to maintaining the collection and library of tartan related artefacts, manuscripts and books. Membership of the Scottish Tartans Authority is made up of organisations involved in the tartan and Highland-wear industry, such as weavers and retailers, as well as members of the public, with an interest in Scottish history and heritage. The Scottish Tartans Authority is a registered charity in Scotland and the only non governmental organisation dedicated to preserving, promoting and protecting tartan, but they no longer act as a registry. Their large International Tartan Index (ITI) database of over 7,000 tartans (which already subsumed databases from STS and IATS-TECA) was merged into that of the Scottish government's official Scottish Register of Tartans in early 2009.