Clan Chief Tartans
1 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
Clan Chief Tartan Origins & History
Explore the History
How it all started
With all our many clan pages here at ScotlandShop, you may be wondering - what actually is a clan? Firstly, the word itself comes from the Gaelic clanna, meaning children, useful as it tends to imply genetic relationships. However, instead of being based on direct lineage like a family, a clan is in fact a collective kinship group who give a sense of shared identify and are associated with an area of land. Each clan has a Clan Chief with a shared surname, and if the chief was to expand his territory, the new peoples swearing him allegiance often took the clan name too. From ancient origins in the Celtic, Norse or Norman-French traditions, the clans across Scotland began to firm their roots in the 12th century and the most important chiefs during the time were likely to have been part-kings, as they held some of the highest levels of authority. The clans also created myths and tales in order to romanticise their history, taking stories that might have lent dignity to the chief’s claim to his land. An example of this is Clan Gordon who were originally given lands in the Scottish Borders, and claim that their progenitor was responsible for slaying some form of beast that was ravaging the local area!
What does the Clan Chief do?
The Clan Chief is recognised as the main representative of a clan and and their historic principal was to lead the clan in battle, as well as acting as an influential political figure who tended to flourish a large and often whimsical authority across the controlled land. The acknowledgment of the chief is in a line of succession, normally flowing through the male side of the family. Another leadership role in a Scottish clan is the clan chieftain who, before the Jacobite uprising, represented the clan chief by serving as the landowner of the clans lands. Traditionally the chieftains have a strong loyalty to the chief and are therefore related or bear an ancestral relationship to them. Truth be told, the Scottish clan system began to collapse during the Jacobite uprising which began in 1689 and they since lost their vast power and influence that they used to hold. However, in the modern day, the clans and their chiefs still promote the lineage, culture and shared history which has been forged over hundreds of years and they are continually celebrated across the world!
Which clan do I belong to?
We are regularly asked the question "Which clan do I belong to?". We are not genealogists and would never pretend to be. To investigate your family history in depth and truly trace your heritage we suggest contacting a well respected genealogist. We do of course know which names are linked to which clans and your starting point is our Tartan Finder. Type your name in and if you are linked to a particular clan then these will come up. Most Clans have a long list of names that make up their history and you can read more about your Scottish Clan through our numerous Clan Pages. If nothing comes up do not despair, look into where your family originated from and there are many District tartans available. Failing this we have our list of Universal Tartans which can be worn by anyone!
Unleash your inner tartan - What is a Clan?
Have a read of the Tartan Blog, where Anna delves deep into the Scottish clan system!
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