Celebrating Our Little’s Tartan
03/06/2026

A Pattern Woven into Little’s History

As Little’s celebrates its 60th Anniversary, we’ve been reflecting on the stories and traditions that have shaped the company over the years. One of the most distinctive is the Little’s tartan.

We spoke with our Managing Director, Heather Matthews, about where the tartan came from, the inspiration behind it, and why it still means so much to Little’s today.

Why did Little’s create its own tartan?

The tartan was originally created to celebrate Little’s 40th year in business a great milestone for the business and the perfect chance to create something uniquely ‘Little’s’.

Heather and her mum Morag designed the tartan, taking inspiration from Little’s itself. The burgundy came from the fleet colour, the grey reflected the chauffeurs’ uniforms, and a pale lilac shade, named ‘Heather’ for obvious reasons, added a more personal touch to the design.

The tartan was developed alongside Geoffrey Tailor & Kiltmakers, a family business the Little’s team got to know while learning more about succession planning and family-run businesses in the early 2000s.

Heather especially remembers building a strong connection with the family, especially Emma and Howie Nicolsby. Howie has since gone on to set up the contemporary 21st Century Kilts.

A special family moment

For Heather, one of the standout memories was presenting her dad with a kilt made from the new tartan during Little’s 40th Anniversary celebrations.

“It was a really special moment,” she says. “Looking back now, it was probably one of the first collaborations we ever did with another family business and working with family businesses has become such a big part of what we do today.”

What began as an anniversary project quickly became part of the Little’s wider identity.

More than just a tartan

Over the years, the tartan has appeared all across the business. Custom knee rugs were produced for the fleet, and the tartan colours gradually became part of the wider company brand.

When Little’s rebranded in 2014, colours taken directly from the tartan were used in our logo, something many long-standing clients will probably recognise from older stationery and letterheads.

What does the tartan represent?

For Kenneth, Director at Little’s, the tartan perfectly reflects both the businesses’ Scottish roots and its approach to luxury.

“The colours feel luxurious and tie in perfectly with the fleet and the heritage of the business,” he explains. “And while tartan is obviously very Scottish, this design feels elegant and understated too, which is exactly what we want Little’s to be.”

The tartan has become more than a design, it represents our heritage, family values, and long-standing commitment to quality.

Looking ahead to the future

Twenty years on from the tartan first being woven, it’s still very much part of the Little’s story.

To celebrate our 60th Anniversary, new scarves featuring the anniversary logo are being produced as gifts for clients. And in a lovely family touch, Heather’s son Rory has had tartan trews made using the final few metres of the original fabric – the very same material used to create his grandfather’s kilt all those years ago. The Little’s tartan remains a symbol of everything Little’s stands for: family, heritage, tradition, and understated Scottish style woven through generations of the business.