Submarine Service Tartan rolled out by Royal Navy

The tartan has been designed to represent life inside a submarine and is available to all submariners, both serving and retired. (Royal Navy/MoD/Crown copyright/PA Wire)

THE Royal Navy’s Submarine Service has unveiled an official tartan to celebrate its century-old links with Scotland.

Woven exclusively by House of Edgar in Perth, the tartan has been designed to represent life inside a submarine and is available to all submariners, both serving and retired.

The Scottish patchwork has been commissioned ahead of HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane, Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, becoming the UK’s single-integrated submarine operating base from 2020.

All of the UK’s submarines are to be based in Scotland, with the workforce at the base increasing to 8,500 by 2022.

Warrant Officer Stephen Thomson modelling the first kilt to be made from the new Submarine Service tartan. (Royal Navy/MoD/Crown copyright/PA Wire)

Submariner Warrant Officer Stephen Thomson said: “The colour scheme of the new tartan has been designed to represent submarines’ environment: the dark green represents the sea; navy blue, red and white to represent the colours of the Royal Navy; and yellow to represent the coveted golden ‘dolphins’ badge worn with pride by all qualified submariners.”

Rear Admiral John Weale, head of the Submarine Service, said: “Scotland and the Submarine Service have benefited from each other for over a century.

“Defence brings many highly-skilled jobs and technologies to Scotland and, in turn, Scots-based submariners, MoD civilians and our industrial partners make a vital contribution to UK defence and national security.”