German 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
German Tartan Origins & History
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How it all started
Both Scotland and Germany share cultural links strong links dating back to the medieval period. The Scots language itself is a modern variant of Old English, which is a Germanic language. Modern Scots has remained closer, in certain respects, to its old German origins in England today. Interesting language links can be found such as the likeliness between the German word, kennen, and the Scots word ken – to know.
Aside from the language links, the Scottish and German history stems from trade. The links with the German ports were so important in Scotland that William Wallace, after his victory in 1297 at Stirling Bridge, wrote to the Lübeck and Hamburg governments for their support. He reassured them that now the English had been defeated, German merchants would find it safe to trade in Scotland. Robert the Bruce also wrote to Lubeck in 1321 to further strengthen trade. From the 15th century, many Scots emigrated to Germany from areas such as Leith, Dundee and especially Aberdeen, with many more making their way to Europe in the 17th century to fight in the Thirty Year War, with many settling in the region.
The current reigning Scottish monarch, Queen Elizabeth II also has Germany links. Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, who was a grandson of Queen Victoria, was the king's cousin; making the queen herself German. As a result, on June 19, 1917, the king ordered that the royal surname was thereby changed from the German Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor.
What's in the tartan?
The German Heritage tartan was designed to honour anyone with German heritage. It is designed for anyone to wear, regardless of clan affiliation or nationality. The colours were chosen to reflect the colours in the German flag which are black, red and gold.
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