A storytelling competition is returning to encourage young people across Scotland to unleash their creativity.
The Great Tapestry of Scotland centre in Galashiels has launched its annual 300 Words creative writing competition, inviting school pupils from across the country to take part.
Inspired by the Great Tapestry of Scotland, the competition encourages children and young people to explore Scotland’s history, heritage and culture and turn it into their own original stories.
New for 2026, the competition has been opened up to schools nationwide, giving pupils from across Scotland the opportunity to participate.
To mark the launch, schools will be invited to take part in a live online lesson on Monday, March 9 at 1.30pm, introducing pupils to the tapestry and the stories behind its remarkable panels. The session will feature Andrew Crummy, the artist behind the Great Tapestry of Scotland, who will share insights into selected panels and the inspiration behind the scenes woven into the artwork. The link to this can be found online and through all social media channels.
The lesson will help pupils explore the people, places and events featured in the tapestry while encouraging them to develop their own characters and story ideas inspired by Scotland’s past.
Sandy Maxwell-Forbes, director at the Great Tapestry of Scotland centre, said:
“With the benchmark set by the wonderful stories we received in previous years, we’re incredibly excited to launch our 300 Words competition again for 2026.
“This year is particularly special as we’re opening the competition to schools right across Scotland, giving even more young people the chance to explore the rich stories of our nation and express their creativity through writing.
“The Great Tapestry of Scotland celebrates the people, events and legends that have shaped our country, and we hope the competition will inspire the next generation of storytellers to imagine the lives and moments behind the panels.”
The competition will once again offer young writers the opportunity to have their creativity recognised at the Borders Book Festival, where prizes will be presented to the winning pupils.
This year’s competition judge will be celebrated Scottish children’s author Vivian French, who will join the festival in June to present prizes to the winners.
The Great Tapestry of Scotland, made up of 160 embroidered panels, tells the story of the nation through moments of history, innovation, myth and culture, providing a wide range of inspiration for young writers.
