Outlander and House of the Dragon star Graham McTavish dropped by Dundee this week to indulge in some ‘kilty’ pleasure.
The Glasgow-born actor, who many will know as drunken war chieftain Dougal MacKenzie from Outlander, appeared at V&A Dundee’s preview of their brand new exhibition Tartan, which opens to the public on April 1.
He was made a World Peace Tartan Ambassador in 2015 and his enthusiasm for Scotland’s favourite fabric saw him visit the City of Discovery for a sneak peak of the new show.
He even lent his own iconic tartan-lined Harrington jacket to the exhibition.
“I’m kind of overwhelmed,” said the 62-year-old star as he entered the collection; Scotland’s biggest and broadest exhibition of its national textile in more than 30 years.
And as he took The Courier with him round the multi-room experience, McTavish became immersed in the storytelling power of tartan.
Soon he was spinning his own yarns about family, childhood and acting as different objects evoked memories of Outlander costumes, his pilot father’s flight crew, and even a Korean pop concert.
“My daughter is doing this very thing now,” he said, examining a pair of customised tartan trews from the People’s Tartan collection.
“She’s really into K-pop, and she’s doing exactly this, decorating her clothes with the name of this band we went to see in Australia.
“The longest three hours of my life!”
And asked what his rebellious Outlander character would make of the show, he replied: “Dougal MacKenzie would be very proud, actually. I think he would.
“He’d probably drink too much at the party though!”
Watch the full video to hear the stories from ‘Dougal’ himself, and to get a taste of the world of Tartan.
Tartan will run at V&A Dundee until January 2024. To book a visit or find out more, visit the museum’s website.
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