Scotland - Tartan

Tartan is, without doubt, one of the nation's major 'brands' - instantly recognised the world over as uniquely Scottish.

What makes tartan different from other chequered materials is the history and romance of the Highlands that is seemingly woven into every aspect of the fabric. In reality however, this mythologising of tartan is a surprisingly modern development and although tartan has come to be identified as particularly Scottish, any individual, family or institution can commission and register their own tartan.

Early history
Some writers give the origin of term 'tartan' as the French tiretane although this may simply refer to a type of material of French origin, rather than any pattern on the cloth. In earliest times, Highlanders were known to wear clothes dyed with local plants, mosses and berries and woven into distinctive striped or checked patterns. However, the weave of the cloth, and the way it was worn, tended to be dictated by the custom in a particular area, rather than a family or clan.
The use of different patterns and colours of tartan to identify different families and clans is a very contentious issue amongst historians. In the absence of any real evidence to the contrary, it seems that this practice dates back only as far as the early 19th century. Prior to this, clansmen of all standing seemed to have worn a mixture of tartans without any sense of a standardised 'clan' design.
Probably the first known mention of tartan in Scotland dates from 1538: in the records of the Exchequer Rooms of the James V's Lord Treasurer, there is an order for a bale of cloth of 'Heland tartane', the material being used for 'hoiss to the Kingis Grace', perhaps a new pair of tartan trews (trousers) for the king.

The tartan explosionThe growth of clan and family tartans began with the standardising of the tartans used by Highland regiments in the British army during the years when tartan was proscribed (1747-1782). The principle was given impetus by the romanticisation of the Gael during the early 1800s and by the explosion of tartan weavers seeking new markets for their products. There also emerged from this time the practice of producing a number of variants of a particular tartan such as Ancient, Modern, Reproduction, Weathered or Muted.

Which tartan to wear?
If you want to wear a tartan, there are no hard or fast rules or regulations about which pattern you have to choose although many people do prefer to wear a tartan associated with their family name. If you want to check whether you belong to a clan, contact the Clan Tartan Centre. They have a computer archive, which will provide visitors with a printed certificate detailing any clan connection, information on the clan chief, its origins, heraldic emblems, plant badge and other historic information. Another option would be to wear the Royal Stewart tartan which is regarded as without family affiliation, or the Black Watch tartan, the universal military tartan.