History of the Yorstons – the owner of the Yorston Tartan, Stuart Yorston, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. His family were long time residents of the area surrounding Tranent and Prestonpans near Edinburgh, in the parish of Prestonkirk. Family members can be traced in the area back to the 17th century, where they were employed on an Estate as ploughmen and farm labourers. Several generations of the family were thus employed, living on the farm until the early 20th century. You can read a poem written about the journey of the family in the poem Journeys, written by Stuart Yorston in 1992.

It was believed that the Yorston name derived from ancient Norse and that the original Yorston arrived in the Orkney and Shetland Islands with the Vikings. Although settled in Scotland for many centuries, the Yorstons were not part of the Clan System and had no tartan to call its own. With the help of the House of Tartans near Canberra, where Stuart Yorston now lives, the Yorston tartan was created to put this right. The provenance of the tartan reflects the Yorstons’ attachment to the land and their Nordic roots. Yorstons the world over can now wear their own tartan with pride!

Registration notes – the meaning of the tartan

This tartan has been designed for the family name Yorston or Yorstoun, which appears in records from the 15th century.

Colours
Dark blue represents the blue background of the Norwegian flag and the dark Northern seas.
Light blue recalls the Scottish flag and family links to Scotland.
Red represents the Scandinavian or Nordic Cross, a symbol of liberty.
White refers to the St Andrew Cross; black represents the historic border between Scotland and England.
Green and gold represent the family origins as tenant farmers and recorded references to artisans such as goldsmiths.