Founded long ago by Loftus McLeod of Skye, a forgotten freedom fighter, Liberation Kilt Company stands against global injustice with ethically-made products that spark conversation and connection—all with a pinch of humour. At our core is a unique collection of tartans championing progressive causes—alongside apparel, accessories, artworks, and more.
About Us
"I wore a kilt to a climate protest—just for the hell of it. It changed my life." ~Giles, Co-founder
A kilted Scotsman stopped me in my tracks and said, “Aye, that’s what our movement needs—its own clan tartan!” Introducing himself as Loftus McLeod of Skye, he invited me for a pint and shared his remarkable story.
Loftus lived the quiet life in the Highlands—until one fateful day in 1779, when his feudal overlord cast him out to make way for industrial-scale sheep farming.
Refusing to “take the King’s shilling” and fight in a far-flung war of empire, he founded the Liberation Kilt Company to stand against injustice at home—rallying hundreds of kindred spirits to his cause.
Read our illustrated Origin Story!
Though eventually captured and exiled, he escaped and disappeared into legend—only to re-emerge in the 21st century, when we resolved to re-found the movement.
The Keeling Tartan
A group of us were arrested on Capitol Hill for barricading a congressman’s office in protest against his pro-coal policies.
Sitting in a DC jail, I realised that McLeod was really on to something. The fractured climate movement would surely benefit from a unifying symbol—its own clan tartan.
And so together, Loftus and I set about designing the Keeling tartan in honour of Dr Charles Keeling, the climate scientist behind the iconic Keeling Curve.
Making its debut at COP26, the Keeling tartan was worn by the World Wildlife Fund delegation, including Eliud Kipchoge, the world-champion marathon runner. Greta Thunberg is the proud owner of a Keeling-clad WWF panda—one of hundreds scattered across the globe.
Inspired, we set about designing tartans for a wider range of causes.
View Tartan Collection
The Rebel Tartan Project
Founded in 2015, the Rebel Tartan Project is a consortium of leading fashion and design programs where art and fashion students creatively confront global issues, drawing on our tartans for inspiration. Under the leadership of Juliana Sissons and with support from Arts Thread, UN House Scotland, and other partners, the Rebel Tartan Project is becoming a global phenomenon. Browse the portfolios of students from the UK, Japan, China, and India!
What Drives Us
Fashion feeds on what Iris Murdoch called "the fat relentless ego." We're shifting the focus outward, recasting fashion as a catalyst for social change. Take, for example, our recent collaboration with the Václav Havel Center, which commissioned us to weave 12 Havel tartan scarves for the 2024 Disturbing the Peace Award. These scarves were crafted to honour individuals whose courage knows no bounds, including Indian writer Arundhati Roy, jailed Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, and Peter Gabriel.
Online Store Launch
With years of art and activism behind us, we’re thrilled to launch our online store.
Ben Nevis Collection: Whether scaling icy peaks or dancing the Highland Fling, the barmy Ben Nevis proves that anything's possible in a kilt—calamities included!
Products: t-shirts and greeting cards.
Flower Power Collection: Inspired by the thistle–an ancient symbol of resilience–the Flower Power collection scatters seeds of hope in an illiberal world.
Products: t-shirts, greeting cards. Coming soon: blazer badges and signet rings.
Slated for an early 2026 launch, our Tartan Collection will feature kilts, tartan scarves, throws, and more.
The "Kilties Club"
With your first purchase you will receive a welcome email inviting you to join the Kilties Club, our global community. Membership is free, and you can opt out at any time.
As a Kiltie, you’ll enjoy VIP perks like:
✅ Early access to new collections
✅ Opportunities to share ideas and test new products
✅ A chance to connect with fellow Kilties — and more!
You’ll also receive a free, personalised, frameable membership certificate signed by Loftus McLeod of Skye. Be part of something extraordinary!
Doing Things Right
Our role model is Patagonia, the gold standard for responsible business. Following their lead, we're committed to minimizing harm, making considered choices at every stage, and continuously improving our practices, knowing that sustainability is a moving target.
From GOTS-certified organic cotton T-shirts produced to Fair Wear® standards, to greeting cards made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper and printed with biodegradable inks, we prioritise materials that are kind to people and planet. Our packaging supports a circular economy, and every order ships carbon-neutral—at no extra cost to you.
Destination Retail
Looking ahead, we envision a physical space where fashion meets activism—a vibrant hub for workshops, performances, bespoke tailoring, and more.
Every piece we create tells a story. We hope you find one that speaks to you.
Liberation Kilt Co.
We validate what we tolerate!
In every age, we face a fateful choice: to adapt to injustice or to resist it. The coveted Disturbing the Peace Award honours those brave souls who chose resistance—and stood on the right side of history. We were privileged to weave a dozen 'Havel' tartan scarves for this year’s awardees: Booker Prize–winning author Arundhati Roy, jailed Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, and ten other human rights champions, including singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel and tennis legend Martina Navratilova.
About the Havel tartan
According to PEN International, the global writers' association, “Writers in prison should have been a phrase entering extinction after the death of fascism at the end of World War II. Instead, there are more incarcerated writers in the world today than at perhaps any time since WWII”.The Havel tartan portrays an endless succession of prison cell windows struck through in red, protesting the persecution of writers of conscience in the knowledge that free expression is essential to any healthy society. It is named in honour of the late Václav Havel, the playwright and co-author of Charter 77, a landmark human rights declaration for which he was imprisoned for several years—only to later lead theVelvet Revolution, which peacefully overthrew communism and made him the first president of a free Czechoslovakia. Permission to adopt the Havel name was graciously granted by his wife, Dagmar Havlová Veškrnová, with support from the Dagmar and Václav Havel Foundation VIZE 97 and PEN International.
About the Disturbing the Peace Award
The Václav Havel Center's annual Disturbing the Peace Award recognizes writers who share President Vaclav Havel’s passionate commitment to human rights and have suffered unjust persecution for their beliefs. The award is given each year to a writer of a distinguished work of fiction, literary nonfiction, biography, memoire, drama, or poetry, who is courageous in dissent and has been punished for challenging an oppressive regime. The award, which includes a $5,000 cash prize, supports talented individuals who embody Havel’s legacy while drawing attention to the many writers worldwide who bravely fight human rights violations.
Slava Ukraini! Poster Collection
Hang a poster from our exciting Slava Ukraini! collection and join the global resistance against lawless aggression!
Choose from five inspiring works by Ukrainian artist Volodymyr Olshynetskyi. All profits to British-Ukrainian Aid, a UK charity providing critical humanitarian relief since 2014. Price includes global shipping and VAT (UK residents).
View the Slava Ukraini! e-brochure for details!
Ben Nevis T-Shirt Collection
Ben Nevis—Scotland's highest peak—derives from the Gaelic Beinn Nibheis, meaning "Mountain of Death."
Who died up there? Why, Ben Nevis himself! Miraculously, he survived—which just goes to show: anything's possible in a kilt (calamities included).
Pair with kilt, trousers, shorts, undies—or nothing at all.
Price includes shipping and VAT (UK residents).
Flower Power T-Shirt Collection
Inspired by the thistle—an ancient symbol of resilience—Flower Power scatters seeds of hope in an illiberal world.
See the Flower Power eBrochure for details!
Price includes shipping and VAT.
