Basics of the Scottish Tartan

When one thinks of the Scottish, colorful plaids immediately come to mind. It is these plaids, in kilt form, that make up one of the most distinctive types of clothing in the world. The kilt is made from a woven fabric, in plaid, that is called a tartan. Most of these tartan kilts are present in Highland Scot tradition, but Lowlands Scots, Welsh, and Irish tartan traditions also exist. The word “tartan” as an English word actually comes from the French (the Scots were often allied with the French against the British) “tiretaine.” The Gaelic term for this fabric is “breacan.”

In the earliest times, undyed wool was used to create the tartan fabric, and most were in variations of white, or some shade of brown, as those are the colors that naturally come off a sheep. As the Scots became more organized and “civilized,” they added more patterns to designate clans and used additional colors derived from plants and animals. Some of the more common colors included blue, yellow, green, white, red, brown, purple, and black. Even today it is possible to create new tartans, but many genealogists prefer to find their own family patterns, and make use of those. New tartan designs must be properly approved and registered before they can become official. Many of the ancient clans still have acknowledged chiefs to keep the clan spirit alive.

As tartans developed, number of colors in the fabric indicated rank within the clan. Servant tartans had only one color. A farmer had two colors, and an officer had three. Nearly everyone else of higher rank had four colors. Five colors was the mark of a chieftain, and six were given for a poet (such were considered historians, entertainers, and blessed – artists were held in high regard). The Chief of a clan was denoted by the seven colors woven into his or her tartan.

Different tartan types were used to represent a single clan. These patterns varied in the colors and patterns used, but were still the property of the clan. The different types were named as the following: Chief’s Sett, Clan Tartan, Mourning Sett, Hunting Tartan, Women’s Sett, District Sett, and Royal Sett. Today, however, most tartans are patterned in four categories: Modern, Ancient, Dress, and Hunting. While many Scottish aficionados purchase the tartan designs they find attractive, many of those of Scottish descent take pride in finding their clan’s own tartan. There are two types of tartans that are considered “free” for the wearing (even by those who are no Gaelic): Blackwatch and Royal Stewart.

Most Irish tartans come from county of origin, although there are some surname tartans. And currently there are tartans to represent countries with large populations of Scottish descent. Canada has a national tartan now, as does America (and some American companies created and registered their own tartans). The Canadian province of Alberta sports two different tartans, and many countries (including England) have military tartans.