Scottish Clans
MacLennan Tartans & Clan
Who Wears MacLennan Tartan? - Associated Names
First of all to explain why there are so many tartans, way over 2000 in fact. There are an awful lot of Scottish clans to start with and on top of this each clan can have many different tartans and names associated with it.
- Lobban
- Logan
- Maclennon
- Clennon
- Mclennan
- Lennon
- Mckennon
- Glennon
- Allenson
- Kneeland
Maclennan Tartans
3 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.
Dès le début
MacLennan Clan Histoire & Origines
Découvrir l'histoire de Clan MacLennan
L'Écosse ne manque pas d'histoires à raconter
Territories
The Highlands
Clan Chief
The current chief is Ruairidh MacLennan of MacLennan
D'où vient le nom MacLennan?
From the Gaelic Mac Gille Fhinnein, meaning the son of the follower of St Finnan
Beauly Priory
It is a well known fact that the Clans of MacLennan and Logan are related and this story involves the Valliscaulian Monastic community of Beauly Priory. During the 15th Century Clans Fraser and Logan were feuding and the Logans started travelling to Inverness to attack the Frasers. The Frasers anticipated this and attacked them on their journey, they killed the Chief of Clan Logan and captured his pregnant wife, who gave birth a short while later. The Frasers broke the babys back and named him Crotair MacGilligorm, after his deformity, they then sent him to Beauly Priory to be educated by the monks. Crotair grew up to be an influential figure opening up a number of churches. However, he also got married and had a family, one of his children was named Gille Finnan and in Gaelic this means MacLennan and this is where Clan MacLennan descended from.MacKenzie
Clan Maclennan were supporters of the Mackenzie Clan and at one time may have been custodian's of Eilean Donan Castle.
Clan Motto: Dum Spiro Spero (While I Breathe, I Hope)
