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1783 Tartans Page
Designed and woven in Highland Scotland by one of Scotland's oldest mills, the 1783 collection contains 29 different tartans, all designed around special moments and special places that stir the soul and lift the spirit.
There's no clan distinction with this collection; they are simply beautiful tartans, designed to be worn by anyone with a love for Scotland and her tartans.
1783 Tartans
29 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
- Dress
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.
Dress 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
1783 Tartan Origins and History
1783 Tartans
Shetland Fire, Atlantic Tide, Tay Bank and Open Skies. Just a few of the names in the 1783 collection, taking inspiration from Scotland's history and landscapes to create a beautiful new collection of delicate, subtle tartans. From the north to the south, from the east to the west, this new range is full of special moments in history and places that stir the imagination and inspire the soul.
From the north, Shetland Fire, a homage to the Viking Fire Festivals. Read more on our blog here. From the west, Atlantic Tide, taking you to wild, untamed landscapes, powerful and yet uniquely beautiful at the same time. From west to east, Tay Bank, charting the progress of the mighty River Tay from the shores of Ben Lui to Dundee. Perhaps from the South, Open Skies, a reference to the extraordinary views from the Galloway forest park.
Glen Affric
Undoubtedly the most well known of the new 1783 range is Glen Affric, a modern recreation of the oldest known surviving tartan in Scotland. The material was found by forestry workers in Glen Affric in the 1980's and has been carbon dated to the 16th century and the reign of James V, Mary, Queen of Scots or James VI.
Read more on Glen Affric tartan on its own page here.
The choice is yours
Choose according to event, choose according to location, or just choose because those are the colours you like the most. Whichever tartan you choose, take your place as part of Scotland's tartan future.
Image Sources:
Loch Affric in Glen Affric - Visit Scotland / Kenny Lam https://www.visitscotland.com/
Original Glen Affric Tartan - Alan Richardson Pix-AR https://media.vandadundee.org/...
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