Scotland will soon have a publicly-funded register of tartans, following the Parliament's approval of a bill to safeguard the history of tartans and to more widely promote them.

The proposal was originally put forward by Conservative MSP Jamie McGrigor in the 2006/07 parliamentary session, and has been supported by both the previous and the current administration.

Now the National Archives of Scotland will establish and run the Scottish Register of Tartans, collecting information from leading experts and from the private registers that have already been compiled. It is also intended that the register will be made available online.

"Tartan is deeply woven into the cultural fabric of Scotland and is an internationally recognised symbol of our country. We also know that the tartan industry makes a significant contribution to Scotland's economy," said Enterprise Minister Jim Mather.

"It is only right that we take action to safeguard one of our most valuable assets for future generations by establishing a Scottish Register of Tartans. The register will make tartan more accessible than ever before."

He also welcomed the fact that the register would be launched ahead of Homecoming 2009, the series of celebrations aimed at celebrating Scots culture and heritage, and at drawing members of the Scots diaspora back to their ancestral home.

"Tartan is an iconic Scottish product – and deeply interwoven with our proud national identity. It is inherently right we should have a publicly and independently held Scottish Register of Tartans to help preserve and promote one of our most important national emblems and products," McGrigor said.

"The challenge now for the Scottish tartan industry is to do their part – to seize the opportunities the register will create to promote Scottish tartan – and to market Scottish designed, produced and owned tartans as authentic, high quality products."

It is estimated that tartan and its associated industry is worth around £350 million each year to the economy in Scotland.