Check out a WORLD OF TARTAN; From taxi cabs to trousers, and ski wear to shawls, the popularity of Scotland's most famous textile shows no signs of slowing, and designers continue to use it in diverse ways.

"As a textile, tartan is second only to denim as most recognisable in the world. But, as a design, it is probably the most popular and identifiable. This isn't bad for a textile that comes from such a small country as Scotland"

Tartan historian Peter MacDonald

IT'S ONE of Scotland's oldest textiles, but tartan is still a favourite among modern designers.

This season, fashion experts have noticed a resurgence in the multicoloured, chequered fabric associated, the world over, with the kilt.

Many of the big fashion houses have recently brought out skirts, dresses, jackets, shoes and a wide range of accessories with a full-on tartan agenda or a hint of the versatile pattern.

And in the world of home interiors, new tartan-influenced ranges including contemporary cushions, funky rugs and trendy wallpapers are tipped to be big sellers.

In fact, everywhere you look at the moment there are touches of our nation's most recognisable clashy design.

On taxi cabs, luggage, perfumes, kids clothing and even a range of footwear, tartan can be spotted in a wonderfully wide array of snazzy colours.

The origins of tartan date back to the fifth and sixth centuries BC when it's believed that a weaved form of cloth was first brought to Scotland by the Celts. The earliest example of Scottish tartan was in fact found in Falkirk and dated to 230AD.

But it wasn't until the 1600s that the word tartan - from the French word tiretaine, which means wool/linen mix - was first used.

One of the first recorded mentions of tartan was in 1538 when King James V bought "three ells of Heland Tartans" for his wife to wear. The next important milestone for the textile was the 1740s rebellion, ending with the battle of Culloden in 1746 and the genocide in the Highlands.

According to historians, Bonnie Prince Charlie's Jacobite Army was organised into clan regiments with the use of tartan as clan uniforms.

During these times, each district in the Highlands had its own tartan pattern, according to the natural plants available in the area that could be used to dye the woollen warp and weft fabric.

But, for nearly 40 years from 1746, tartan in Scotland was the subject of a widespread ban. In a bid to destroy the Highland clans system, the Government outlawed the wearing of the "particoloured" cloth by the common Highland man.

However, this ban on our now-famous textile only proved to boost its popularity. In 1782, the law was repealed and there was a huge resurgence in Scottish nationalism and the wearing of the tartan kilt.

In the 1800s, tartan's popularity was further boosted thanks to the involvement of Sir Walter Scott. The novelist personally persuaded Highland chiefs to wear their clan tartan to functions during the Edinburgh visit of King George IV.

Almost overnight, a tartan boom was born and every Scot suddenly wanted to be have their own "family tartan".

Other changes also increased the profile of the distinctive woollen fabric.

In 1840, artificial dyes were invented making it cheaper and easier to create the tartan patterns.

By the end of the 19th century, tartan became an important export for Scotland, which increased the notoriety worldwide of our now-famous cloth.

While tartan has remained popular ever since - mainly as a hard-wearing material for kilts and rugs - it has also been at the cutting-edge of fashion.

In the 1970s, top fashion designer Vivienne Westwood created a punk look that drew heavily on tartan - and influenced a new generation of tartanwearing fans.

And during the Eighties, tartan again hit the catwalks, mainly in eye-catching blacks and reds.

Now tartan is back - and in almost every high-street clothing store and interiors collections there are contemporary twists on the enduring, versatile textile.

Anna Easdale - a fashion adviser at John Lewis - is delighted to see so much tartan on the shop floor.

She said: "Tartan has always been a strong seller in clothing but this season there is so much more of it, and in very trendy styles.

"Tartan has featured in almost every fashion collection including Coast, Jesire, Ted Baker, Hobbes, Dolce & Gabbana, Preen and Ralph Lauren.

"Dresses, mini skirts, knee-high socks, shoes, ruffled blouses, skinny trousers, you name it, all these lines have been treated to a cool tartan look in striking black-and-white or bright, modern colours like pinks and purples."

For Scottish company NessByPost (www.nessbypost.com), tartan has proved a winner in a competitive fashion market.

Their range of ladies' kilts, jackets and accessories come in striking pink, blue and lilac tartans. The firm - who have four stores in Scotland - even sell tartan-patterned Wellington boots and shoes.

In the interiors world, traditional tartan patterns have long been linked with carpets, rugs, cushions and throws. But now these tartan products feature trendier, brighter shades - plus mix-and-match themes.

Julie Noble, who owns Totally Tartan (www.totallytartan.net), an internetbased soft furnishing firm, believes we are seeing a tartan revolution.

She said: "Tartan has always been popular in grander homes but these days it has become the in thing in even the smallest home space. The latest trend features colourful, modern colours that either co-ordinate with the rest of the home decor or offer a point of interest in an otherwise neutral background."

Tartan introduces a lot of colour to a home, but in an ordered way.

So it's enough to have one wall of tartan-inspired wallpaper, with pink, grey or charcoal tartan designs from Graham & Brown (www.grahambrown.com), or a brightly coloured tartan rug or carpet by Anta (www.anta.co.uk).

Contemporary tartan sofas and chairs look great in monochrome, such as those in Osborne & Little's Lomond range (www.osbornelittle.com) and straight-forward, chequered designs featured in sofas and throws from Laura Ashley.

But why stop there with a tartan-themed make-over? Easdale reports that tartan has become this season's design of choice for numerous other goods including jewellery, watches, bags, suitcases, ski wear and perfume packaging.

Even the children can enjoy their own mini tartan revival. At John Lewis (www.johnlewis.co.uk), pink tartan offers a new take on the traditionally popular duffel coat.

And for the boys, mail order store Boden (www.boden.co.uk) offers uber-trendy brushed cotton tartan cargo trousers.

Easdale concludes: "It's refreshing to see everyone so keen to wear our national textile."

'It's refreshing to see everyone so keen to wear our national textile'

Weaving through its history

TARTAN is a textile or fabric made with alternating bands of pre-dyed coloured threads woven in a criss-cross pattern known as warp and weft.

The weave produces blocks of colour repeated vertically and horizontally in a pattern of squares and lines, known as a sett.

There are hundreds of different tartan patterns. In 1815, the first register of official clan tartans was drawn up.

Tartan patterns can also be associated with family names.

The most popular tartans today are Black Watch and Royal Stewart.

Tartan can now printed on to all kinds of products such as paper, plastics and metal.

CAPTION(S):

PICTURES: www.whollycowclothing.co.uk, www.slanjkilts.com, John Lewis, www.totallytartan.net, www.nessbypost.co.uk