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Culloden Tartans Page
The Culloden tartan is said to have been worn by Prince Charles Edward's attendants at the battle of Culloden 1746. The colours were not so bright in those days given the natural sources of dye rather than today's synthetic dyes which give us the bright colour shades. The Culloden tartan can be used by anyone regardless of their clan affiliation.
CullodenTartans
4 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
1860年以前、布地は動物性染料と植物性染料を用いて染色されていた。これにより古代タータンの特徴である柔らかな色合い——苔のような緑や空のような青、よりオレンジがかった赤——が生み出され、現代タータンよりもコントラストが鮮明であるため、模様がより効果的に際立つと評されることもある。単一のタータンの全バリエーションにおいて、模様（セット）は共通であり、異なるのは色合いやトーンのみである。
Helpful Advice
1860年以降、化学染料が天然の動物性・植物性染料に取って代わり、より鮮やかで力強い色彩を持つモダン・タータンが誕生した。柔らかな緑や青は瓶緑や紺色に、赤は緋色へと変化した。
Modern Tartan
1860年以前、布地は動物性および植物性の染料で染められていました。これにより古代タータン特有の柔らかな色合いが生み出されました。1860年以降、化学染料が天然の動物性・植物性染料に取って代わり、より鮮やかで力強い色彩を持つ現代タータンが誕生しました。柔らかな緑や青は深緑や紺色に、赤は緋色へと変化しました。
Helpful Advice
現代のタータンは、ブラックウォッチ・モダンといったクラシックな組み合わせのように、より繊細な組み合わせであることが多い。
Weathered Tartan
1860年以前、布地は動物性染料と植物性染料を用いて染色されていた。これにより、風雨と日光に晒された大胆な色彩を彷彿とさせる、より柔らかく素朴な色合いが生み出された。風化したタータン特有の美しい褪せたトーン、オリーブグリーンやブラウン、そして赤というよりピンクに近い淡いブルーが特徴である。
Helpful Advice
Some mills refer to the Weathered tartans as Muted.
Hunting Tartan
狩猟用タータンは迷彩タータンであり、一部の氏族にはこのバリエーションが存在しない。その理由は、既に緑や茶色が基調となっており、自然の色に溶け込むための修正を必要としないためである。ブラックウォッチやガンのタータンがこれに該当する一方、フレイザーのようなタータンは赤が基調であり、狩猟中の兵士を十分に隠蔽することはできない。
Helpful Advice
既存のキルトやアクセサリーに合わせてタータンを注文する際の注意点として、セッティングや色は同じでも、製造工場によって色味にわずかな差異が生じる場合があります。これは純粋に糸の染色工程によるものです。完全な一致が必要な場合は、見本布を注文して確認されることをお勧めします。
Dress Tartan
ドレスタータンは、その名前が示す通り、お祝いやハイランドダンスのためにデザインされました。タータンのセット（模様）はそのままに、メインカラーを白に変更したり、パターンにエクストラホワイトを追加して、より明るく「華やか」な外観にしています。スコットランド人はルールを少し曲げることを好み、時には白い糸の代わりに黄色の糸を使用することもあります。これが、かなりワイルドなマクラウド・ドレス・モダンやバークリー・ドレス・モダンが生まれた理由です。
Helpful Advice
既存のキルトやアクセサリーに合わせてタータンを注文する際の注意点として、セッティングや色は同じでも、製造工場によって色味にわずかな差異が生じる場合があります。これは純粋に糸の染色工程によるものです。完全な一致が必要な場合は、見本布を注文して確認されることをお勧めします。
From the start
Culloden Tartan Origins & History
Explore the history
How it all started
The Jacobite cause stemmed from the 1688 Glorious Revolution. Loyalists, known as Jacobites, sought to restore the Stuart dynasty, driven by dynastic loyalty, religious differences, and political grievances, particularly in Scotland. This movement persisted, leading to several uprisings, culminating in the 1745 Jacobite Rising led by Charles Edward Stuart, also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie. His efforts to reclaim the throne ultimately ended in the decisive and bloody Battle of Culloden in 1746, effectively crushing the Jacobite hopes of a Stuart restoration.
The Battle of Culloden
On April 16, 1746, the Jacobite cause reached its decisive end at the Battle of Culloden. Prince Charles Edward Stuart, despite earlier victories, faced a series of setbacks leading to this final confrontation. The Jacobite army, weakened by a retreat from Derby and internal discord, found themselves facing a larger, better-equipped Hanoverian force under the Duke of Cumberland.
The Jacobites, numbering around 5,000, were positioned on Drummossie Moor, a flat, boggy terrain unfavorable to their traditional Highland charge. A failed night raid on April 15th, intended to surprise the Hanoverian forces during Cumberland's birthday celebrations, resulted in exhaustion and disarray within the Jacobite ranks.
The following day, amidst falling snow and hail, the Jacobites formed their battle lines. The Hanoverian army advanced, unleashing heavy artillery fire. The Jacobite charge, though valiant, was met with devastating firepower, and their lines broke. The battle, lasting less than an hour, resulted in a crushing defeat for the Jacobites, marking the last pitched battle on British soil.
Following the battle, Cumberland's brutal campaign, earning him the nickname "Butcher," targeted remaining Jacobites, leading to trials, executions, and the suppression of Highland culture. Kilts and tartans, once symbols of hope, became emblems of rebellion. The clans mourned their losses, and Prince Charles was forced to flee.
The Impact of the Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden in 1746 marked the definitive end of Jacobite claims to the British throne. While not all Highlanders supported Prince Charles Edward Stuart, a significant portion did, leading to their defeat. The profound significance of tartan and associated Highland dress at this time is underscored by the government's subsequent punitive measures.
The Dress Act
From 1746 to 1782, the Dress Act prohibited the wearing of tartan and other Highland attire, effectively criminalising a core element of their cultural identity. This ban aimed to dismantle Highland clan structures and suppress any future rebellions, illustrating the deep connection between clothing and cultural resistance. The act specifically targeted the wearing of "plaid, kilt, or any dress whatsoever in the mode used in the Highlands," except for those serving in the military, thereby attempting to erase a visible symbol of Highland identity.
Culloden Memorials
The Culloden battlefield is marked by several memorials. The battlefield features a central memorial cairn surrounded by clan markers, each representing the various Highland clans that fought and fell in 1746. Erected in 1881 by landowner Duncan Forbes, these markers aimed to commemorate the individual clans' sacrifices, creating a tangible connection to the human cost of the battle. These Victorian-era markers, however, tell an incomplete story, omitting the contributions of Irish and French regiments who fought alongside the Jacobites. A separate plaque was later installed by the White Cockade Society in 1994, honouring the sacrifices of these often-overlooked soldiers, highlighting the battle's broader European context and the international nature of the Jacobite risings.
The Culloden Tartans
A significant artifact from the Battle of Culloden is a remarkably preserved tartan coat, a testament to the period's craftsmanship and likely belonging to a high-ranking individual, possibly a clan chief. This coat is crucial as it preserves one of the few surviving Jacobite-era tartans, though its interpretation has varied since the late 19th century.
Notably, the vibrant purple and yellow "Culloden tartan" familiar in many collections originated in D.W. Stewart's 1893 publication, "Old and Rare Scottish Tartans." This rendition was likely trying to emulate what the original jacket might have looked like when new. However, colours weren't so bright in the days that the jacket would have been created, given the natural sources of dye rather than the synthetic dyes originating in the mid-1800's which provide the much brighter colour shades used today.
For over three decades, textile expert Peter MacDonald sought the original Culloden coat to accurately determine its true colours and pattern, accounting for fading and wear. His search culminated in 2007 at the Kelvingrove Museum, where he identified an 18th-century coat with a distinct sett. This revealed that the authentic Culloden tartan differed significantly from Stewart's interpretation, featuring muted blues and weathered greens, alongside black bands and a light blue, yellow, red, and white overcheck.
The coat's original owner remains unknown, but its style suggests equestrian wear typical of the mid-18th century. The quality of the fabric and tailoring indicates a person of wealth and status, possibly a Jacobite noble or clan chief. As clan tartans in their modern, recognisable forms largely came after Culloden, the sett and colours cannot be linked to a specific family.
Regardless of the wearer's fate at Culloden, his coat endures as a historical window, illustrating the use of tartan as a unifying uniform among the Jacobite forces.
Blàr Chùil Lodair
