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Scottish Lochs Tartans Page


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Scottish Lochs Tartans

2 variations

Each 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.

Loch in Scotland

From the Start

Scottish Lochs Tartan Origins & History

Loch Carron

Explore the History

From the start

Scotland is home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, and there are no views quite so astonishing as the scenes looking out over some of the most famous Scottish lochs. From Loch Ness to Loch Lomond, no trip to Scotland is complete without exploring one of these beauty spots. There are over 30,000 freshwater lochs in Scotland, although only around 350 are of a notable size and they can be found throughout the country, but they are most numerous within the Scottish Highlands. The main reason for Scotland’s watery landscapes is the enormous sheets of ice that used to create massive glaciers. These rolled across the land in the last Ice Age, excavating out striking U-shaped valleys leaving behind the astounding scenery.

Loch Ness, Loch Lomond and Loch Carron are some of the most widely known lochs across the world and are widely predominant in Scotland's deep-rooted cultures and traditions. Loch Ness is one of the most iconic Scottish landmarks and is a large, deep, freshwater loch where many continue to be baffled by the existence of the mythic creature, Nessie. Loch Lomond is found in southern Scotland with the surrounding highland areas home to red deer and oak woodlands, and then Loch Carron is a sea loch situated on the west coast of Ross and Cromarty in the Highlands attracting many visitors to the village of Lochcarron due to its traditional seaside location. There is no ignoring that the Scottish lochs are rich in history and tell various tales of Gaelic myths and legends – which alone makes for a magical trip through their landscapes.

What's in the tartan?

There are number of tartans which stem from the many Scottish lochs, such as the Loch Ness, Bonnie Banks, and Lochcarron, with the colours throughout representing their surrounding landscapes.

Loch Lomond Scotland

The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond

The Trossachs is an area which truly enhances the beauty of Scotland, with Loch Lomond falling on the geographical line acting as a natural gateway separating the lowlands and the rugged mountainous landscape of the Scottish Highlands. Loch Lomond can be enjoyed as a day trip, weekend, or multi-day excavation to explore the wonderful nature, attractions and wildlife. Located only a short drive or train journey from the city of Glasgow, it is an clear choice for tourists to visit whilst in Scotland. The loch was formed between 10,000 - 20,000 years ago during the last Ice Age period and is one of the largest in the country stretching across 36 kilometres. Geography aside, Loch Lomond is featured in popular culture through the song which has since been covered by a number of artists. The most famous version is covered by the Scottish rock band Runrig and is commonly played at Scottish ceilidhs.

Loch Lomond Sunrise

On the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond

Staycation Stories

Since international travel still isn't a possibility, Anna swept her family off on their summer holidays to the beautiful banks of Loch Lomond. They relaxed and spent plenty of time swimming around the Loch, and of course discovered some clan history along the way...Lennox, MacFarlane and Colquhoun you are all in there! Anna wrote all about her Scottish adventure on the Tartan Blog, so if you're looking for some travel inspiration with plenty of interesting story then this is the blog for you.

Loch is the Scottish Gaelic word for a body of water, either completely or almost completely surrounded by land.


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