In 1957 it was suggested that the Isle of Man should adopt a National Tartan. Local designers were invited to send in their ideas and the winner was Patricia “Paddy” McQuaid who based her idea on the colours of the Manx landscape. Green, purple, white, yellow, blue, dark blue and rowan red.

In 1978 with Paddy McQuaids tartan no longer available, Bob Wood, the owner of Laxey Woollen Mills, designed a new Manx-themed tartan using just five colours – blue for the sea, gold for the gorse, green for the hills, purple for the heather and white for the cottages.

The Laxey Tartan was registered with the Scottish Tartan Society and quickly became known as the Manx Tartan.