Nova Scotia 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.
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
Nova Scotia Clan Origins & History
Explore the History
How it all started
In 1621 Sir William Alexander, the 1st Earl of Stirling was granted a charter by King James VI of Scotland and I of England to allow him to set up a Scottish colony between the existing lands of New England and Newfoundland. Initial settlers encountered many hardships and ongoing war with France forced many to flee or return to Scotland, however after more than a century England regained the territory and Scots returned to Nova Scotia. Initially many of the settlers at this time came from the Lowlands but after the Battle of Culloden, many Highlanders also fled Scotland and continued to do so throughout the Highland Clearances.
What's in the tartan?
The colours found in the Nova Scotia tartan are Blue for the sea; white, for the granite rocks and surf; gold, for the Royal Charter; and red for the lion rampant on the provincial flag.
The Nova Scotia Tartan
The Nova Scotia Tartan was designed in 1953 almost by accident by Mrs Bessie Murray, President of the Halifax Weavers' Guild with the help of Isobel MacAulay. When creating a trade display about sheep rearing Bessie included a shepherd wearing a kilt and to avoid showing favouritism to any clan tartan she designed a new one that proved to be so popular that in 1956 Isobel registered the new regional tartan at the Court of the Lord Lyon and in 1963 it was adopted as the official provincial tartan.
Birthplace of New Scotland
On the 15th of September 1773, the town of Pictou welcomed nearly 200 Scottish settlers on board the ship, Hector. This voyage was one of many during a wave of emigration from Scotland and as a result, Pictou is commonly referred to as the birthplace of New Scotland.
227 years later a replica of the original ship opened to the public as a floating museum in September 2000. The museum depicts the trials, tribulations, and eventual triumphs of these early settlers who went on to call Nova Scotia home.
Munit haec et altera vincit (One defends and the other conquers)
