Great Tapestry of Scotland: Public invited to stitch welcome panels

Stitchers will work with textile artists to create the new panels for the Galashiels centre

The public is being offered the chance to contribute to welcome panels to go on show at the new permanent home of the Great Tapestry of Scotland.

Events around the country will allow them to work with textile artists to add a stitch or two to the work.

It will go on display at the new £6.7m visitor centre housing the tapestry due to open in Galashiels in 2021.

Centre director Sandy Maxwell-Forbes said they were "incredibly excited" to offer people the chance to take part.

The Great Tapestry of Scotland is to go on permanent display in 2021

The Great Tapestry of Scotland - completed in 2013 - tells the story of the nation in 160 panels and is more than 140m (450ft) long.

It took 1,000 volunteer stitchers more than 50,000 hours to complete.

A permanent home for it is now being constructed in the Scottish Borders which it is hoped it will attract more than 50,000 visitors a year and create 16 jobs.

In the meantime, the project to create welcome panels is being taken on tour to a range of venues.

Aberdeen, Glasgow and the Scottish Borders have already been confirmed with more to be revealed later in the year.

People around the country are being given the chance to contribute to the new panels

Anyone contributing a stitch will also be given the chance to have their name recorded as a contributor to the centre.

"In keeping with the Great Tapestry of Scotland's ethos, it is vital that as many people as possible have an opportunity to contribute to the panels," said Ms Maxwell-Forbes.

"As part of the tour, we're taking the welcome panels directly to venues, such as care homes, to remove some of the barriers that some individuals face to accessing such significant cultural projects.

"We will add more venues throughout the year."

It is hoped hundreds of people will play a part in the project

Floors Castle, Traquair and Abbotsford House in the Borders are among the sites which will host the tour.

By the time the panels are complete, it is hoped that more than 1,000 people will have contributed to them.

The new centre is scheduled to open in the Borders next year

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