clan macgregor tartan
History and Origins of Tartan
The origins of tartan are inextricably linked with the origins of the Scottish nation. Evidence suggests that striped and checked materials were used for hundreds of years by the Celtic peoples who lived in what would become modern Scotland. But tartan really emerges from the shadows with the arrival on these shores from Ireland of the Scoti tribe in the fifth century. Not only would they give Scotland its name, but they would also bequeath tartan as an everyday garment and as a symbol of identity. The check used by the Scoti was very basic. But as time evolved, so did the intricacies of clan tartan. The number of stripes on the cloth came to indicate rank and the weave became associated with different clans in different parts of the country, especially the Highlands and Islands. Variations of pattern, even within the same clan, continued until the beginning of the seventeenth century when these patterns or setts became standardised. The very word tartan probably emerges at this time as a derivation of the French word tartaine, meaning checked cloth. Proof of the existence of tartan is first seen in a German woodcut made in 1631 of Highland mercenaries serving in the army of Gustavus Adolphus and apparently wearing tartan kilts.
Highland Tartan - From Rebel Dress to Loyal Uniform
Tartan, along with the bagpipes and the claymore sword, was an important element that underscored military might. When the Highland clans who had risen in support of Bonnie Prince Charlie were defeated at the Battle of Culloden near Inverness in 1746, the British government moved to destroy their traditional way of life - and this included banning the wearing of tartan. But the authorities also tried to win over the rebels by forming loyal Highland regiments for the British army where tartan kilts and trews {trousers} were permitted. The Black Watch took the first "government tartan" and other regiments adopted their clan patterns. As the British Empire grew, in no small part thanks to these regiments, the image and importance of tartan became known the world over.
The final seal of approval came in 1822 when the novelist Sir Walter Scott arranged a tartan pageant in Edinburgh for King George IV, the first reigning monarch to come to Scotland for more than 170 years. The King himself appeared in a splendidly ostentatious kilt. Tartan was no longer the garment of the rebel. It was now high fashion, regal attire.
Scottish Tartan - A Modern Mode of Dress
Over the past two hundred years the number and variety of tartans has continued to grow. Many clan setts are available in different styles including ancient, modern, dress or hunting. Almost every surname in Scotland has links to an ancient clan, and with it, the right to wear a distinctive tartan. Individuals have given their names to tartans, as have companies and organisations including Amnesty International. Scotlands Jewish, Sikh and Chinese communities all have their own tartan, as have every Canadian province. Film stars like Ewan McGregor and Samuel L Jackson have added a chicness to sleek new tartan garb. And, of course, no Scottish wedding is complete without a tartan kilt for the groom, be he Highlander or Lowlander.
Scottish Register of Tartans
With hundreds of varieties of pattern and weave, the Scottish Parliament decided that the time was right to establish a proper Register of Tartans. Speaking in 2009, Jim Mather, the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, explained "The Register will make tartan more accessible than ever before. It means people across the world will be able to use the Register as an on-line resource to research or design their own family tartan and have it woven in Scotland - the spiritual home of tartan."
The Register, launched in 2009, is maintained by the Keeper of the Records of Scotland and housed in the country's National Archives in Edinburgh. But it is not simply be a list lodged in a book. The Register is available online providing detailed information about the hundreds of different patterns and their history. Anyone can create their own tartan and, as long as it is unique and complies with the standards laid down, it too will be placed on the Register.
Go online at www.tartanregister.gov.uk and find out whether your family-check really is authentic Scottish tartan, or better still, get designing your own!
52 folks blethering:
Angelina Fong DesignsI must say, the Isle of Skye is my favorite as well! Thanks for this great historical background on the tartan. I will be in a wedding this August in Scotland and it's great to know a little bit about how the tartan has become such a big part of Scottish culture!
Four DinnersI was absolutely devastated to find I was not entitled to wear the Mackay Tartan when I married Carol nee Mackay.
Apparently I am only entitled to wear a neutral Tartan having married into The Clan Mackay as I have the misfortune to be English.
I sulked for months....;-)
(actually I'm still sulking 25 years on)...;-)
Once wore a kilt at a wedding. I wore zero underwear and the breeze was very...interesting.
Thanks for the info Sophia. I feel informed.
OH my........ since red is my favorite color, I'd have to pick one with red in it.... honestly I'm not sure which one that is.
But my friend is a McLeod.... and she has been looking for a piece of it over here on this side of the pond to no avail...so if I would happen to win, I'd choose that one for her.
Thanks so much!
Och ma family are allowed to wear the Lamont tartan, a rather fetching little design. At my cousin's wedding many years ago, the gentlemen of the wedding party lined up, bent over, mooned proudly at the gaggle of elderly grey haired widows and maiden aunts that had congregated in one spot. They were lucky to get away alive. These hardy old 'Hen's' lunged at them for a dance - I've never seen so many kilts scatter to the four corners of a room at such speed. Twas a joy to behold!
Deb SalisburyFun post! Wonderful giveaway!!!
I don't have a right to wear any tartan (I don't think - I'm a true mongrel), but I love the Black Watch. Or any of the blue tartans, for that matter. I'm easy, but not as easy as MOB's old hens. :-)
My family hails from Scotland but came here in the 1600's to the forests of Pennsylvania. The names Hale and Russell are Americanized and I do not know the clans or tartans. But that said...I love color and the Isle of Skye tartan is a beauty...just take a look at my paintings on my blog and see how much color means to me! Kay kayhaleartist@blogspot.com
LynnI'm married to a Barclay and prefer the Barclay hunting tartan. The elementary school I attended had uniforms that were eerily similar (smile). Green is also my favorite color (not to mention my husband's great legs). Love your blog and equally enjoy the comments!
Pamela Terry and EdwardSuch a delicious fabric. I adore tartan.
There are many tartans waving from my family tree, the chief of which is MacDonald. Of course, there are many MacDonald tartans. My favourite has always been on of the Lord of the Isles patterns. Of course there are several of those as well!!
The other main tartan in the family is St. Clair, or Sinclair. So that one might be easier!
Tartan, tartan, how I love thee! I'm a Stewart so no guessing which is my favorite. Lovely giveaway as always S.
amcloedThe MacLeod is my favorite of course--it is one of the few yellow pieces of attire that I will permit myself to wear. I am an American whose Scottish heritage has been shammed; my last name is now McLoed thanks to some idiot who messed up a birth certificate, but I will always claim my Scottish ancestry. My family would go bonkers if I were to acquire an authentic MacLeod tartan! Thank you for sharing your wonderful blog :)
KristinaMy husband and I are renewing our vows in 2011 for our 25th anniversary and though I cant do it in Scotland, I am adding touches of it. The flowers of course will be thistle and heather and tartan ribbons, etc. Im using grays, purples and a lime green......so I think I would have to choose: Thistle Dubh or Graham Memteith Modern..........even though my family are MacIntyre and MacDuff (grin)......
ellen abbottI was told by my father that 'Abbott' was a division of the McNab clan and that therefore we had a clan tartan. He was all into it for awhile. I seem to recall having some sort of garment in it, a skirt perhaps. I don't remember liking it over much. Red, green and plaid doesn't do a whole lot for me. Well, I don't really remember the colors exactly but I don't remember it was especially attractive.
And the other thing is that I live in a place where I don't really have need of a wool scarf. But that Isle of Skye is very pretty.
The bright blue and gold, the last you posted is beautiful. I always wondered about the history of the tartan which we appears once in a while even in Wisconsin, US. Thank you.
Gael PitcairnThe Isle of Skye one is beautiful!
My favorite tartan is nothing spectacular, different, or particularly unique, but I have my reasons. It is the MacIntosh(or Mackintosh) tartan, just a plain red with green and blue. This is because both sides of my family have Scottish blood from the "Glenn" clan in them, and I discovered last year that Glenn is actually a sub-clan of MacIntosh, and uses their tartan. When I went to Scotland last summer, I was determined to get something with that tartan, and thus bought my favorite scarf ever! My only problem with it is that it looks a little Christmasy at times, but I've gotten over it. (So I don't really need to win this free giveaway, but I wanted to participate non the less)
Thanks for talking about tartans! I was furious with the British when I learned more about Scottish history last summer. How could they ban tartans?! Didn't they also ban bagpipes? (gasp!)
~Gael
this is very informative. thanks!
PatriceThanks for posting the history of the tartan. I have been dreaming of traveling to Scotland for quite some time, especially to the Highlands. I own the entire series of Monarch of the Glen and listen to radio broadcasts from the Isle of Skye. So, I'd love the Isle of Skye tartan scarf, if I win. Thanks so much for sharing information and photos of your beautiful country!
Lady JI would definitely have to say the Sutherland tartan is my favorite. That is the tartan that represents my boyfriend Stuart. It is the mixture of blue and green, along with red and white that make it distinct. For Christmas, he sent me a scarf with his tartan on it. I have worn it a few times since....I must say that there are so many tartans that are just as lovely but Sutherland is the only tartan for me.
JoI'm South African and married to a South African of Scottish descent. His tartan is Stewart. Over the many decades we have been together ( married 38 years on 4th March, so this will make a welcome gift) we have attended everything and anything Scots in and around SA. Hog Maney's, Burns Nights and many more. Hubby's brother is a Piper in the SA Royal Scottish Pipe Band and at his wedding 20 years ago, all the men wore kilts including my husband who was best man. I'm glad they didn't moon the old hens at the wedding. As a child I grew up in a predominanly Scottish community in the Eastern Highlands of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and got to know all the customs and festivities including dancing, firstfooting etc. Thanks for a fun giveaway. Jo
AngieI would love to win this giveaway (you are a gem) Like the last photo with blue, yellow & white. People next door gave me a calender 'The West Coast of Scotland' which I enjoy looking at. Thanks for doing this. Very interesting blog.
ccqdesignsOh what a wonderful giveaway. My mother is a McDonald and our family came from the Isle of Skye in the early 1700's so the Isle of Skye it must be. At all the funerals in our family we have had a Scotsman playing Amazing Grace on the bagpipes and that is no small feat in Alabama. My mother is very near her end and it would be wonderful to have the tartan scarf for her to wear for now and then. Thank you for being such a wonderful kinsman. I love your site. My husband and I are heading your way next year and will be needing some travel advice too. So I will be emailing you someday soon.
Between the LionsI really enjoyed your post about the tartan! You always have such great information/insight on Scottish history. I really loved the blue/yellow/white tartan. :) Actually all of them are lovely!
Kelly R.
Thanks for the opportunity to win one :)
this is very cool, come and visit also my blog http://xnewmovie.blogspot.com, you make a very good job
MarchelineI don't post for the giveaway, since my husband and I got married in the Isle of Skye tartan! His clan is MacLennan, mine is MacRae, but we decided to choose a different tartan, one we both fell in love with. It made beautiful wedding pictures! His kilt, my sash, my mom's and sister's sashes, my father's bow tie, and my brother-in-law's tie were all Isle of Skye, as was the ribbon around our wedding candle!
My word verification for today is absolutely perfect, and needs no explanation: "misti"
Apropos tartans......
This is what I looked like over 60 years ago :-)
http://home.egge.net/~savory/stus_blog_pix/wee_stuart.jpg
There are many tartans I like more (colour-wise), but I think my favourite one overall has to be the Saskatchewan provincial Tartan for what it represents. It has seven colours: the predominant gold represents prairie wheat; brown for the summer-fallow; green for the forests; red for the provincial flower, the Western prairie lily; yellow for the canola flower & sunflower; white for snow; and black for oil & coal.
Paints a pretty picture :)
Can't say I was aware of The Isle of Skye tartan before I saw your image of it, or I might have got my kilt in that colour. By rights if I was sticking to family history when arranging for the kilt that I would get married in I should have had the a red/green kilt of Anderson but I didn't like the look on me so instead settled for the green/blue tartan of Graham of Menteith.
When I was making the move across the ocean I brought my wife a cashmere scarf of, I think, the Stewart blue variety. Sadly she lost it a couple of weeks ago, maybe its divine justice she looked better in it than I did my kilt.
Word verification: culture. What are the chances of that?
You people sure have a way with plaid!!!
PurestGreenSeveral people have commented on the last tartan shown here - the light blue with the white and gold. That is the Musselburgh Tartan. The red one underneath the Isle of Skye is the MacDonald Dress Tartan, and the green and black pattern is the Campbell hunting. Thanks for all your great stories and comments!
MerlinAh... My college registered their own tartan and it's a lovely mix of blues, so I think I'm going to have to go with that. Though the island of skye has a beautiful tartan as well.
AnnalisaI love tartan!!! We have a wonderful tartan blanket we bought in Edinburgh, @ MarchBrae..But my favourite tartan is the one of Nuova Scotia, in Canada..But now that I saw it, I fell for the Isle of Skye one, especially because I have been there and I loved that place!!!
CarolGod bless Queen Victoria for becoming besotted with tartan. She decorated rooms with the stuff :)
I'm not entering the giveaway but my tartan is Lindsay. Very dark Christmassy colors year round. I have the colors showing up in various forms round my house !!!
I lay no claim to be of Scottish descent(sp?)but, I do favour the Isle of Skye tartan, it has my favourite mix of colours,particularly the purply, heather colours.
A very interesting and informative subject, makes me want to delve deeper into it's history.
I enjoyed the Oban blog. I have been there several times and love it.
Current favourite Whisky - Glenmorangie. Just thought I'd drop that one in, in case you do a give away of a bottle of whisky!
Best wishes,
Sandie
What lovely pictures. I was lucky enough to visit Edinburgh twice and see some of the country from there to London. It's a wonderful place that I would go back to anytime.
My family is Wright, so I think that makes me part of the McIntyre clan, which is a beautiful tartan. My father sports a McIntyre tartan cap when he takes a walk which always makes him dance a little jig when he puts it on.
These are beautiful! Especially the Isle of Skye tartan. That's one place I've always wanted to visit. Someday. . .
Thanks for the giveaway!
I wore Stewart tartan When I was a higland dancer in scotland when I was little boy thqat was A long time ago he he he .But I love all tartan;s.
Hugs Mary.
Thanks for the comment on my blog! You are so lucky to have seen David Tennant play Hamlet. I have to say Scotsmen are very lovely, and I am not saying that because of Tennant and my boyfriend Stuart. They are lovely and very sexy....sighs dreamily.
Karen LanaI very much enjoy your blogs! My dream destination is Scotland and until I can fulfill that wish, I can enjoy your beautiful country vicariously through blogs such as your own. Sincere thanks for sharing!
So many beautiful patterns, but I'd have to choose a Drummond tartan as that is my heritage on my father's side of the family.
Tartans are so beautiful... my favorite is the MacLeod tartan.. having married into that clan....
artistaggieI'm part of Clan MacMillan. My fave tartan is MacMillan Ancient Old, which is so much nicer than the MacMillan dress tartan (all garish yellows and oranges). I'd proudly wear it to the next Clan Gathering! :-D
~Anne McMullen Kelley
http://artistaggie.blogspot.com
My mom's from Dundee so I a Dundee tartan but apart from that the Musselburgh tartan is beautiful as well.
and thanks for sharing the history!
What a lovely giveaway! I hope one day I can visit Scotland on my own; my grandfather kept close ties to the Clan MacGregor and made sure we (the kids and grandkids) had avenues of hospitality to explore if we should ever go. I can't imagine a place more beautiful!
I'm staunchly devoted to my MacGregor name, and would love a tartan of the same... thanks for the opportunity! Love your blog :]
I love any of the green, red, or blues. My family ancestor came to America from Scotland, he was a Taft. My daughter is living in Moray, her partner's family is Russell. I love them all! And I do love your blog!
PamMy favorite tartan is one that was created especially to be the official tartan for the State of Oklahoma. Lovely blues, just like our sky.
NicI think for family reasons I should say McLeod - but Hunting McLeod, not the yellow monstrosity that is the dress tartan - although my ma has an old photo album covered in that, and it has my first photos in it (so positively an antique...)
For some reason, though, my first kilt, bought in Aberdeen, was in the Anderson tartan, and I wore it and wore it and wore it ... wouldn't now, it's blue, and I don't do blue!
?I have to say I love all the tartans simply for what they represent. My family is from the Clan Stewart and of course I am loyal to our colors...When I was a wee bairn, I had several tartan kilts courtesy of my gran going home to visit Rutherglen.
Im hoping this is the year I get to plan my pilgrimidge to the place where my dad was born and revel in all the beauty that IS Scotland!
~Please keep the wonderful posts coming!!
~Karen
1. Scott (not fussy) - My mom (Edinburgh).
2. Macleod - maternal great granny.
3. MacGregor - husbands clan.
Really I'm just a mutt (aka American).
My maiden name is Campbell, so I'm partial to the Ancient Campbell tartan. I'm researching my family tree and hoping to visit Scotland someday. I recently found your blog, and it's delightful! Thank you so much.
LDWatkinsI love this post! Wish I had a drop of Scottish blood, but don't think I do even though I love all things Scottish. Think I'll go with the Isle of Skye also. Beautiful colors!
JanetWhat a great giveaway - my first choice would be Hunting MacBeth, a lovely subtle tartan, and failing that Gordon or Dress Gordon. Fortunately both will match well my forest green boiled wool winter jacket! And believe me, we still have lots of winter left too - it's snowing this morning.
Janet in Nova Scotia (New Scotland)
I so love these plaid tartans, and enjoy reading the history behind it, too. Mom was a McMath, they used the Matheson tartan.
I love them all, the reds, the blues, so beautiful and colorful...nice.
Although I've already commented, I just had to add this one. Yesterday, I was privileged to attend a concert of The Band of the Irish Guards with the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland. They were here on their 2010 Hands Across the Sea Tour. What a spectacular concert!!! You come from such a beautiful country with great, deeply rooted traditions. Thanks, again, for your blog.
