Scottish Clans
MacKenzie Tartans & Clan
Who Wears MacKenzie 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.
- Charles
- Charleson
- Cluness
- Clunies
- Comarty
- Iverach
- Iverson
- Ivory
- Kenneth
- Kennethson
- Kynoch
- MacAweeney
- MacBeolain
- MacConnach
- MacIver
- MacIvor
- MacKenna
- MacKenney
- MacKerlich
- MacKinney
- MacMurchie
- MacMurchy
- MacQueenie
- MacVanish
- MacVinish
- MacVinnie
- MacWeeny
- MacWhinnie
- McKenzie
- Murchie
- Murchison
- Smart
Associated Regiments
Over the last 300 years, tartans have been a part of official dress for some of the most famous regiments throughout the military world! Their respective regimental tartans became undisputedly tied to the very core identity of the soldiers who wear it. Explore the associated regiments below:
- Dogras, 37th. (Bengal)
- Glasgow Highlanders
- Grenadiers 102nd (Bombay)
- Gurkha Rifles 1st, 2nd Bt. (Punjab)
- Highland Light Infantry
- Highlanders
- Kaffrarian Rifles (SA)
- Kimberley Scottish
- Queen's Own Highlanders
- Ross-shire Buffs (78th)
- Royal Highland Fusiliers
- Royal South Australia Regiment
- Seaforth Highlanders
MackenzieTartans
7 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
MacKenzie Clan Origins & History
Explore the history
How it all started
Territories
Clan MacKenzie is traditionally associated with the Kintail area of mountains in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland, and Ross-Shire in the central Highlands.
Clan Chief
The current chief is John Ruaridh Grant MacKenzie, 5th Earl of Cromartie. An explosives engineer and keen mountaineer, the MacKenzie Chief occupies Castle Leod in Strathpeffer, Ross-shire.
What's in the name?
MacKenzie comes from the Gaelic MacCoinneach meaning "son of the fair bright one". Traditional genealogies trace the ancestors of the MacKenzie chiefs right back to the 12th century.
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan is the historic seat of Clan MacKenzie and is steeped in rich Scottish history. There is not a definitive date for the construction of the Castle as it has been destroyed and built many times over the past 1000 years, but the first recorded building on the lands was in either the 6th or 7th Century and was dedicated to Donnan of Eigg an Irish martyred saint. The next build on the land was in the early 13th Century during the reign of King Alexander II of Scotland, and it was this build that the MacKenzies accumulated as their stronghold. It is said that the MacKenzies were gifted the castle after helping to defeat the Norsemen in the Battle of Largs in 1263. The MacKenzies occupied the Castle until the 18th Century, during the Jacobite uprising of 1715 William MacKenzie attempted to protect the Castle by using Spanish Troops but unfortunately his efforts failed and the Castle was blown up in 1719. Eilean Donan was re-built at the start of the 20th Century and was even featured in the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall.Baron Seaforth
During the 18th century, the chief of the clan - Francis MacKenzie, 1st Baron Seaforth - created several now famous regiments from members of his clan. the regiments he created include the Highland Light Infantry and the Seaforth Highlanders. these regiments fought in Clan MacKenzies tartan. The Second regiment of Seaforth Highlanders was commonly known as the Ross-shire Buffs. All of the MacKenzie regiments had distinguished records in the wars against Napoleon and in the Indian Wars.
Clan Motto: Luceo Non Uro (I shine Not Burn)
Monja's Minute on Clan MacKenzie
Join Monja as she explores Clan MacKenzie in 60 seconds or so.
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