A Royal Clan - Stewart Hunting Tartan

Clan Stewart is an armigerous clan meaning that they have no recognised clan chief. However, the Earls of Galloway are considered to be the main branch of the clan. This has resulted in Clan Stewart using the arms of the Earls of Galloway in the Clan Stewart Crest. There are two other recognised branches of Clan Stewart, Clan Stewart of Bute and Clan Stewart of Appin, with the former being the only branch to have a recognised clan chief.

The Stewart Clan are descended from a family who were seneschals or stewards in Brittany, France. They came to Britain following the Norman conquest of England and acquired several estates as the FitzAlan family. The family came to Scotland when David I of Scotland claimed his throne, with Walter FitzAlan assuming the position of High Steward. It was from Walter's position as High Steward of Scotland, that Clan Stewart got their name, with steward becoming Stewart.

The clan's rise to power began following the Wars of Scottish Independence. During the wars, James Stewart, 5th High Steward of Scotland, swore fealty to King Edward I of England. However, he later switched allegiances to side with Robert the Bruce and William Wallace in their fight for Scottish independence. This decision laid the foundations of the Stewart dynasty.

Walter Stewart, the 6th High Steward of Scotland, married Marjory, daughter of Robert the Bruce. Thus, when Robert's son, David II of Scotland, passed away, he was succeeded by Walter Stewart's son, Robert II of Scotland. So began the royal line of male Stewarts which was uninterrupted until the reign of Mary Queen of Scots. As a family, the Stewarts held the throne of Scotland and later England until the death of Anne, Queen of Britain in 1714.

As rulers of Scotland, Clan Stewart came to control many of the country's most famous castles, including the world-famous Edinburgh Castle. The clan also controlled other notable castles including, Stirling Castle, Linlithgow Palace, and Falkland Palace, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots.

The Stewart clan have several beautiful tartans, with the Stewart Royal tartan the most recognised and internationally renowned. It's vibrant red background and iconic check is loved across the world and is often the first image to come to mind when you think of tartan.

Although we love the bold scarlet Stewart Royal tartan, today, we're taking a look at the lesser-known Stewart Hunting Weathered. This tartan incorporates the iconic Stewart check, but with more subtle and muted tones, which results in a somewhat tweed-like appearance. Historically, this tartan would have been coloured using plant and animal dyes, with currant bushes, alum, blaeberries, dulse and crotal used to create brown. The muted tones of Stewart Hunting Weathered make this tartan perfect for a wide range of events as it can be used to create a variety of different looks and styles. If you're a fan of tweed, the Stewart Royal and Stewart Hunting Weathered tartans are also available as part of the iconic Cairngorm Tweed Collection. This collection is inspired by the colours of the Cairngorm Mountains, resulting in the tartan adopting more muted tones.

Stewart Hunting Weathered tartan is a key part of our Spring Collection for 2020, and we recently spent some time at Musselburgh Racecourse to shoot a few of our favourite styles. Here, we paired our Traditional Tweed Heavyweight Kilt in Cairngorm Stewart Hunting Weathered with our brand new Tweed Kilt Jackets. This kilt teams perfectly with the Tweed Kilt Jacket in Lovat to create a stylish modern look and with the Tweed Kilt Jacket in Charcoal for a more conservative style.