Scottish Kings 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.
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
Scottish Kings Tartan Origins & History
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How it all started
Before becoming part of the United Kingdom, Scotland was ruled by various monarchs over hundreds of years. The first Scottish king was Kenneth MacAlpin during the Dark Ages, with the clan continuing to rule Scotland throughout the early medieval period. Following this, the House of Moray ruled which included the reigns of the MacBeth and the Duncan clan, with the House of Dunkeld then seizing the throne in the Middle Ages after replacing the Gaelic Kings. After the death of Alexander III, there was a succession of crisis as the English king claimed he was the overlord of Scotland and followed a series of bloody battles such as at Stirling Bridge involving the great William Wallace and then the Battle of Bannockburn where the English were successfully defeated by King Robert the Bruce. After the failure of the Bruce clan lineage, the Stewart clan came to rule which produced nine monarchs including Mary Queen of Scots. James VI then succeeded the throne after Mary's abdication and was the last of the Scottish kings after becoming King James I of England in 1603 and was the first to label himself as the King of Great Britain, know as the Union of the Crowns.
What's in the tartan?
The Kings of Scotland tartan is mainly a dark green with stripes of a lighter green and beige running throughout - potentially as in early modern Europe, green was commonly associated with wealth and gentry.
Scotland's Fight for Independence
Have a look at our Tartan Blog where you can read about some of the most important years in Scottish history during The Wars of Independence which involved many prominent Scottish kings and warriors including King Robert the Bruce and William Wallace!
King Robert the Bruce is famously recognised by the phrase, "If at first you don't succeed: try, try again!” as it is believed he told his army this before conquering the English at the Battle of Bannockburn.
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