Edinburgh kilt maker maker wins inaugural Heritage Crafts Scotland and UK Maker of the Year Awards 2024
3rd December 2024 | ANNOUNCEMENTS | OUR STORIES
Kilt maker Nicola Laird has won both the inaugural Scotland Maker of the Year Award, supported by the William Grant Foundation, and UK Maker of the Year Award, supported by the Marsh Charitable Trust. Each was accompanied by a £1,000 prize, awarded at a special presentation at Eltham Palace on Tuesday 26 November 2024.
The awards celebrate a heritage craftsperson in Scotland and the UK who has made an outstanding contribution to their craft within the previous year. It recognises a contribution that is far beyond the ordinary, either in pushing their craft to new levels, contributing to its promotion or continuation in an exceptional way.
Nicola Laird has been in the kilt industry for 32 years and has been teaching for eight years, during which time she has taught one hundred students. In the past year she has taken on another young apprentice, and her kilt making courses have been so successful that she has had to employ an extra person to help. She is currently finishing a book on kilt making, which will include a history of kilts and tartan, a study of kilt makers through the years, and a workbook.
The three other finalists for the award were typefounder and printer Nick Gill (England Maker of the Year), silversmith Cara Murphy (Northern Ireland Maker of the Year) and maille maker Phil Parkes (Wales Maker of the Year).
The William Grant Foundation is a funder of good causes connected to one of Scotland’s leading family-owned businesses, with a vision of a Scotland where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. The Marsh Charitable Trust runs a portfolio of awards with a number of nationally and internationally recognised partners to celebrate the outstanding contributions of people who are committed to social, cultural and environmental causes.
Photo: Nicola Laird