Clan Hay: March in Manhattan

The New York Tartan Day Parade took place last month on the 6th April which also happens to be National Tartan Day. This year for the 20th Annual Parade, Clan Hay were selected by the parade organisers as the Honoured Clan.

Clan Chief Rt Hon Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll & Lord High Constable of Scotland and Isabelle Jacqueline Laline Astell Hohler, Countess of Erroll marched along with their office bearers, families and their very own pipe band! (Clan Hay is one of only a very few clans to have its own pipe band.)

Clan Hay Pipe Band are actually based in Brussels alongside the Continental Europe branch of the Clan Hay Society. The personal piper to the Earl of Erroll, Pipe Major Philippe Vervoort leads the band at events worldwide. Of course the band make sure to visit Scotland regularly and participate in the Clan Hay gathering in Aberdeenshire every August. The band is renowned throughout Europe for its very high standards of performance and its impeccable appearance. Rudi Driesen is a proud member of the band:

So which tartan do the band wear to stay looking tip top? The beautiful orange Hay Ancient tartan is worn by the band and appears to be the most popular variant of the Hay tartans with the clan members who were marching in Manhattan. We love these Hay Tartan Nails!

If orange isn't your colour, then don't worry there are lots of alternative Hay tartans to choose from.

The Hay Modern tartan which matches in pattern to the Hay Ancient tartan but has a strong red base in place of the orange in the Ancient tartan.

Hay and Leith Modern tartan is the oldest of the Hay tartans, dating back to a pattern book in 1819. The tartan was designed to reflect the intermarriage of the Hay & Leith families.

The Hunting Hay tartan was designed in more subtle colours to help the wearer blend in to the natural environment, a great advantage when hunting!

Now, this is just a selection of the Hay tartans that have been designed, there are a few more tartan no longer woven today which include, Dress Hay, Dummond-Hay, Hay Stuart & Kinnoull.

Both the Leask and Boyd tartans are also said to have been based upon the Hay tartan to reflect connections between the families.

Leask Ancient Tartan

Boyd Ancient Tartan