Scottish Clans
MacNeil Tartans & Clan
Who Wears MacNeil 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.
- MacGougan
- MacGrail
- MacGugan
- MacGuigan
- MacNeal
- MacNeale
- MacNeilage
- MacNeill
- MacNelly
- MacNiel
- Neal
- Neale
- Neil
- Neill
- Neilson
- Nelson
- Niel
- Nielson
MacneilTartans
5 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.
Dall’inizio
MacNeil Clan Storia e Origini
Esplorare la storia di Clan MacNeil
Come tutto è cominciato
Territories
Clan MacNeil's history begins on the island of Barra on the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. In 1427 another branch of the MacNeil's was established on the island of Gigha with Torquil MacNeil at the head. The separate locations of these branches of the MacNeil clan became significant when in 1493 the Barra MacNeils showed allegiance to the MacLeans in their long running feud between the MacDonalds of Islay and the MacLeans of Duart, while the Gigha MacNeils fought alongside Clan Donald.
Clan Chief
In 2010 Rory MacNeil became the 27th chief of Clan MacNeil, following the death of his father Ian Roderick MacNeil, The MacNeil of Barra, Chief of Clan Niall, Baron of Barra and 26th Chief. Records show the very first Chief of Clan MacNeil dating back to 1049, and the legendary Irish King Niall, a descendant of Aodh O'Neil, twentieth in descent of the nine hostages.
Cosa c'è nel nome MacNeil?
Clan MacNeil is also known in Scotland as Clan Niall. The name originates from the first name Neil, and MacNeil in gaelic translates to Son of Neil.
Kisimul Castle
Kisimul Castle is the historic and current seat of Clan MacNeil, it is located on an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, off the coast of Castlebay Barra. It is said that the lands that Kisimul sits upon have been owned by the MacNeils since the 11th Century. The Castle was built in the 16th Century, but was abandoned by the 19th Century, however, it was restored in the mid-20th Century by Robert Lister MacNeil, the Chief of Clan MacNeil at the time.Niall of the Nine Hostages
For centuries the MacNeil clan based on the Hebridean island of Barra have proudly claimed to be descendants of Ireland's "greatest" King, Niall of the Nine Hostages, whose dynasty dominated Ireland between the 5th and 10th Centuries, got his name from taking hostages as a strategy against his opponent chieftains. The King, who died in 405AD, was the founder of the longest and most powerful Irish royal dynasty and known by some as the greatest king that Ireland ever knew.
Clan Motto: Buaidh No Bas (Conquer or Die)
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