Each tartan can have multiple variations, the most common of which are Ancient, Modern, Weathered, Hunting and Dress
About tartan variations
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.
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.
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.
The Modern tartans are often the more subtle combinations such as the classic Black Watch Modern
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.
Some mills refer to the Weathered tartans as Muted.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Giant’s causeway is an area in County Antrim in Northern Ireland that has 40,000 interlocking Basalt columns that were made as a result of ancient volcanic eruption. Today this site is a UNESCO world heritage site that attracts over 1 million visitors every year but in the medieval times it was so much more. It was home to the magical myths and tales of Fionn mac Cumhaill. In Gaelic mythology Fionn was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant Benandonner and so to the Fionn build the causeway so he could cross the ocean to fight the Scot. This story has two different endings: one where Fionn defeats the mighty Scot and the other states that Fionn saw the massive Scot and disguised himself as his own child. When Benandonner saw the size of the "baby", he reckoned that its father, Fionn, must be a giant among giants. He fleed back to Scotland in fright, destroying the causeway behind him so that Fionn would be unable to chase him down.
The Causeway plaid was inspired by the area surrounding the Giant's Causeway. The colours in the plaid represent the colours of the surrounding area: shades of grey for the basalt columns, sea blue for the Atlantic, white for the surf and green for the hinterlands.
Dunseverick Castle is situated in County Antrim, near the small village of Dunseverick and the Giant's Causeway. This castle has a fascinating history that began in the in the later part of the 6th century AD, when this was the seat of Fergus Mor MacErc (Fergus the Great). Fergus was King of Dalriada and brother of the High King of Ireland, Murtagh MacErc. Saint Patrick is recorded as having visited Dunseverick castle in the 5th century AD, where he baptized Olcán, a local man who later became a Bishop of Ireland. The original stone fort that occupied the position was attacked by Viking raiders in 870 AD but held strong throughout the constant attacks. The O'Cahan family latterly held it from 1000 AD to 1320 AD, then regained it in the mid-16th century. Last owner of this great castle was Giolla Dubh Ó Catháin, who left it in 1657 to settle in the Craig area. Dunseverick Castle and the peninsula on which it stands were given to the National Trust in 1962 by local farmer Jack McCurdy.