District
Edinburgh Tartans Page
Capital of Scotland and home to the world famous Edinburgh Castle, it is only fitting that Edinburgh should have its own tartan. The tartan features the blue and white of the Saltire combined with the greens and reds taken from the colours of the hills and landscapes around Edinburgh. The Edinburgh tartan was designed in 1970 by Hugh Macpherson to commemorate the Commonwealth Games held in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh 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
Edinburgh Tartan Origins & History
Explore the history
How it all started
Territories
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and plays the backdrop to many of Scotland's most iconic moments in history.
Clan Chief
The Edinburgh tartan is a district tartan and therefore does not have a Clan Chief.
What's in the name?
Capital of Scotland and home to the world famous Edinburgh Castle, it is only fitting that Edinburgh should have its own tartan. The tartan features the blue and white of the Saltire combined with the greens and reds taken from the colours of the hills and landscapes around Edinburgh. The Edinburgh tartan was designed in 1970 by Hugh Macpherson to commemorate the Commonwealth Games held in Edinburgh.
The Edinburgh Tartan Throne
Our very first shop was opened in Edinburgh in 2017 at 10 Queensferry Street and we always carry a range of Edinburgh tartan accessories in store. We even have a throne upholstered in the Edinburgh tartan if you would like to have your photo taken while you are visiting!Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is said to have first been built in the 12th Century during the reign of David I, but of course it has went through many a change since this time. The Castle is home to the Honours (Crown Jewels) of Scotland, the On O'Clock Gun, the National War Museum of Scotland and the 15th Century gun - Mons Meg. It is a castle with very impressive architecture and stunning views overlooking the whole city upon it's rock.
Dùn Èideann is gaelic for Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Edinburgh's Fringe runs for the month of August every year and is the world's largest arts festival. There were over 55,000 performances of 3,548 different shows in 2018 and the festival has been running since 1947. It brings a really fun and lively atmosphere to the city of Edinburgh and one that you have to experience at least once in your life.
Want to learn more about Edinburgh?
On this episode of On the Sofa, Monja and Anna explore the history of Scotland's capital. Watch from the comfort of your home as they discuss their favourite stories about living and working in Edinburgh. From Castles and plaids, to monuments and festivals they talk about it all. Giving you a glimpse of what life in Edinburgh is truly like (spoiler alert, it is as amazing as you imagine!).
An Evening with Edinburgh Gin
If you have always wanted to learn more about the exciting brand that is Edinburgh Gin then this episode of On The Sofa will be right up your street. Monja sits down with Head Distiller David and Experiential Ambassador Philip to discuss their roles within the company, as well as sharing the story of Edinburgh Gin. They even have a wee taster of their favourite gins!
Exploring The Royal Yacht Britannia
On this episode of On The Sofa Monja explores one of Edinburgh's most exciting tourist attractions - The Royal Yacht Britannia. Tom O'Brien who works on the boat talks you through all the fascinating stories about events that took place on board and even of previous passengers including Ronald Regan, Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela!
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