Braveheart Tartans
1 variationsEach tartan can have multiple variations, the most common of which are Ancient, Modern, Weathered, Hunting and Dress
About tartan variations
- Ancient
- Modern
- Weathered
- Hunting
- One thing to remember if you are ordering your tartan to match an existing kilt or accessory is that although the sett and colours are the same, there can be a slight difference in colour from one mill to the next. This is purely down to yarn dying so if
Ancient Tartan
Before 1860 fabrics were coloured using animal and vegetable dyes. This produced the softer colours typical of the Ancient tartans, mossy greens and sky blues, a more orangey red and some would say showing off the pattern to much greater effect as as the contrasts are much brighter than the Modern tartans. The pattern or sett remains the same across all variations of a single tartan, and only the shades or tones vary.
Helpful Advice
Post 1860 chemical dyes replaced the natural animal and vegetable dyes and the Modern Tartans were born with their stronger and bolder colours. The soft greens and blues become bottle green and navy blue, reds are scarlet.
Modern Tartan
Before 1860 fabrics were coloured using animal and vegetable dyes. This produced the softer colours typical of the Ancient tartans. Post 1860 chemical dyes replaced the natural animal and vegetable dyes and the Modern Tartans were born with their stronger and bolder colours. The soft greens and blues become bottle green and navy blue, reds are scarlet.
Helpful Advice
The Modern tartans are often the more subtle combinations such as the classic Black Watch Modern
Weathered Tartan
Before 1860 fabrics were coloured using animal and vegetable dyes. This produced the softer, more earthy colours typical of the Weathered tartans, reminiscent of bolder colours subjected to wind, rain and sunshine producing beautiful faded tones, olive greens and browns, and very light blues with reds that are more pink than red.
Helpful Advice
Some mills refer to the Weathered tartans as Muted.
Hunting Tartan
The Hunting Tartans are the camouflage tartans and some clans don't have these variations because they are already predominantly green or brown and don't need amendment to blend in with nature's colours. The Black Watch or Gunn tartans are examples of these, whereas a tartan such as the Fraser is predominantly red and would not provide much cover for men out hunting.
Helpful Advice
One thing to remember if you are ordering your tartan to match an existing kilt or accessory is that although the sett and colours are the same, there can be a slight difference in colour from one mill to the next. This is purely down to yarn dying so if you need an exact match we suggest you order a swatch to double check.
One thing to remember if you are ordering your tartan to match an existing kilt or accessory is that although the sett and colours are the same, there can be a slight difference in colour from one mill to the next. This is purely down to yarn dying so if Tartan
The Dress Tartans were designed as the name suggests for celebrations and highland dance. The sett or pattern of the tartan remains the same and the main colour is changed to white, or extra white is added to the pattern to give it a brighter, more "fancy" appearance. The Scots do like to bend the rules and occasionally instead of white thread, yellow is used and this is where the rather wild MacLeod Dress Modern and Barclay Dress Modern came from.
Helpful Advice
One thing to remember if you are ordering your tartan to match an existing kilt or accessory is that although the sett and colours are the same, there can be a slight difference in colour from one mill to the next. This is purely down to yarn dying so if you need an exact match we suggest you order a swatch to double check.
From the Start
Braveheart Tartan Origins & History
Explore the History
How it all started
Braveheart is a legendary 1995 historical fiction war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson, who portrays the 13th-century Scottish warrior king William Wallace, who was part of the Wallace Clan. It depicts the life of the king, and how he led the Scots in the First War of Scottish Independence against King Edward I of England. The box office hit made history for its bloody battle scenes, literal cast of thousands and scooped five Academy Awards in 1996, although exasperating many historians for taking creative liberties with the plot! Randall Wallace, who wrote the screenplay, acknowledged the 15th-century poem "The Acts and Deeds of Sir William Wallace, Knight of Elderslie" as a major inspiration for the film. Braveheart generated huge interest in Scotland and its history and has even been accused of driving "the Braveheart phenomenon," a Hollywood-inspired rise in Scottish nationalism.
What's in the tartan?
The Braveheart tartan is a joint design between Charles Knode, costume designer of the Shepperton Studios and Gordon Cavell of the Islay Woollen Mill on the Hebridean isle of Islay, for Mel Gibson's 1995 Braveheart extraordinaire. Charles Knode is said to have sent Gordon a sports jacket and asked him to create a tartan inspired by it.
The National Wallace Monument
The tower stands on the shoulders of the Abbey Craig which overlooks the cry of Stirling and commemorates the great efforts of the Scottish hero. During the Victorian period, there was a huge increase in interest in Scotland's history, and numerous monuments were built to remember almighty Scots across the county. The memorial was chosen to be at the site of the warrior's military triumph and was designed by the Scottish architect J.T Rochead in the 1860s. The monument can be visited today, allowing tourists to explore the box office phenomenon's true heritage!
In the 1995 film, William Wallace shouts "Alba gu Bràth" as he gallops across the front of his assembled Scottish troops just before their decisive victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge - which is a Scottish Gaelic phrase used to express allegiance to Scotland, it translates into English as 'Scotland forever'.
