Handicrafts and History

I acted on impulse today and went to Ayr, to see The Great Tapestry of Scotland. This is the work of over 1000 people (mostly women) from all over Scotland and beyond. It tells the story of Scotland from its geological formation up to the reconvening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.
I have a book at home with illustrations of all 160 panels, but nothing had prepared me for the experience of actually being in a room with them. The embroidery is exquisite in close-up. It was also good to hear the comments of other visitors, feeling the weight of a country's history but also recognising some of it as their own.
This photo shows a detail from Panel 126, Fair Isle.
The Tapestry is in Ayr Town Hall until Sunday, and then it will be moving to Kirkcaldy.