The Atlantic province of Nova Scotia, New Scotland, was first mentioned in 1621 on a land charter. This is the oldest Provincial tartan in Canada and was designed in 1953 almost by accident. Mrs. Bessie Murray was President of the Halifax Weavers’ Guild and designed a trade display on sheep rearing. In it, a shepherd wore a tartan and to avoid showing favouritism she designed a completely new one that proved to be so popular that in 1963 it was adopted as the official provincial tartan.
The colours represent the blue of the sea and sky; the dark and light greens of the evergreens and deciduous trees; the white of the rocks and coastline surf; the red from the lion rampant on the Province’s crest and the gold of Nova Scotia’s Royal Charter of 1621 and the subsequent Grant of Arms in 1625.