Scottish Clans
Carmichael Tartans & Clan
An ancient hill fort or ‘caer’ in a prominent location close to the main route north from the border was chosen by the ‘good’ Queen Margaret in the year 1058 as the site of one of her first six churches established in the see of Glasgow. Due to the prominence of the site, she dedicated the church to St. Michel and the district and its peoples became ‘of Caermichel’ when surnames were necessitated in the thirteenth century.
Who Wears Carmichael Tartan? - Associated Names
First of all to explain why there are so many tartans, way over 2000 in fact. There are an awful lot of Scottish clans to start with and on top of this each clan can have many different tartans and names associated with it.
- Carmichel
- Carmichal
- Carmicheal
- Carmiggelt
- Carmichale
- macghilliemichel
- Caer Mychel
- Michel
- Carmitely
- Anstruther
- Carmychell
- Kirkmychel
Carmichael 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
Carmichael Clan Origins & History
Explore the history of Clan Carmichael
How it all started
Territories
During the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Carmichaels travelled widely - some to Galloway - where they became kinsmen of the Stewarts of Galloway and later moved northwards settling in Lismore and Appin as kinsmen of the Stewarts of Appin and the McDougals. Since then, the Carmicheal clan has faced a major diaspora. The clan's population is just over 42,000 with half of their residents living within the United States, a quarter in the United Kingdom and 10% in Canada.
Clan Chief
The current Chief is Richard Carmichael of Carmichael, the 30th Chief of the Name and Arms and the 26th Baron of the lands of Carmichael in Lanarkshire, Scotland. The Carmichael clan’s direct heirs died with Andrew Carmichael, the 6th Earl of Hyndeford in 1817 as he died unmarried. Since his death, the Chieftainship was passed through the female side of the family to the Carmichael-Anstruther bloodline until Sir Wyndham of Carmichael-Anstruther's death in 1980.
Where does the name Carmichael come from?
The Carmichael name translates directly to “Michael’s fort” which was found in Lanarkshire. The barony of Carmichael was confirmed in 1414 after Sir John de Carmychell held charter over the lands of Carmychell from William, Earl of Douglas between 1374 and 1384.
Carmichael Castle
Carmichael was the seat of the barony of Carmichael from the 13th century until the 17th century, before being replaced by the mansion of Carmichael House in the 18th century. Robert the Bruce granted Sir James Douglas “the valley of Duglas, and the whole land and tenement of Kirkmychel” in 1321. These lands were inherited in 1342 by Douglas’ nephew, William Douglas (later created the 1st Lord Douglas), who granted the Carmichael lands to one of his vassals around the middle of the fourteenth century. This vassal subsequently became known as William de Carmichael.
Clan Crest
This crest was made in memory of the actions of Sir John de Carmichael of Meadowflat who was a part of the Scottish mercenary service sent to aid the French forces in the 100-Year War. This crest depicts the spear in which Sir John de Carmichael toppled the Duke of Clarence from his horse during the battle of Baugé which led to a French victory in this battle. For his actions during his battle, the French named him the Bishop of Orleans.
Battle of Marston Moor
The battle of Marston Moor is believed to have been one of the largest battles ever seen on English soil. This battle saw the Carmichaels split between sides of the English Civil War. With Lord Carmichael and his two sons standing with King Charles I with his other two sons siding with the Royalists. Lord Carmichael’s first-born son James Carmichael, the Commander of the Clydesdale regiment tragically met and defeated his royalist brother James Carmichael in battle. Despite this, the royalists won the battle forever changing the history of England and Scotland as it saw the beginning of the rise of Oliver Cromwell.
Carmichael Estate
Carmichael estate has three extremely historical places for clan Carmichael. Beginning with Kirk hill which was a church built in honour of St Michael by Queen Margaret in the year 1058. The first castle made within the Carmichael estate is said to have been built by the second Baron of Carmichael in 1414. Since that date, the castle was kept between the family until its destruction by Oliver Cromwell in 1650. The other place of importance within the estate is the Eastend house. This house hosted a separate family of the line of Carmichael, and it is suggested that this family were loyal to the local government compared to the main Carmichael line being loyalists. This allegiance is suggested as the house was not destroyed by Cromwell in the 17th century.
Carmichael's Plaid History
There is little known about the history of the Carmichael plaid, apart from the plaid first being recorded in 1905 by Carmichael of Archerfield in the Highland Collection. Since then, the plaid was confirmed by the current Chief of Carmichael, Richard Carmichael of Carmichael the 30th Chief of the Name. Subsequently, the registered plaid is being kept by Lord Lyon in the New Register House Edinburgh.
War Cry
The Carmichael war cry is “Tout Jour Prest” meaning “always ready”. This war cry comes from the actions that Sir John de Carmichael made in France during the 100 Year War so that all of the Carmichael clan would show such bravery.
During the Battle of Beauge, Sir John de Carmichael managed to unhorse the Duke of Clarence, brother to Kind Henry V of England. On the Duke's death, the English troops fled and the outcome of the war was completed altered. In the process of unhorsing the Duke, Sir John broke his own spear. For this Sir John was awarded the family crest featuring a broken speak grasped by a gauntlet.
Clan Carmichael USA
If you want to learn more about the clan or discover how to get involved, visit the official clan society website. The Clan Carmichael website is currently split between Clan Carmichael International, Carmichael Scotland and Clan Carmichael USA. The clan are committed to upholding the history of the clan and is hosting its first clan gathering since 2017 next July!
The Top 5 Fun Facts on Clan Carmichael
Do you have any captivating Clan Carmichael facts that you would like to share? Join us on this new edition of Top 5 Facts on Clans and discover all the fascinating findings on the Clan.
The Famous Places of Clan Carmichael
If you are a member of the famous Clan Carmichael, we have compiled a list of the Clan's most famous places for you to visit! This depicts everywhere from where Clan Carmichael was created to where they gained historical success. Keep reading to discover which intriguing Carmichael Castles and ancient historical sites have made the blog.
The Carmichael Quiz
On a scale of 1 to clan genius, how much do you think you've learned over the course of the month? Test your Clan Carmichael knowledge with our quiz! Don't forget to let us know how you do!
The Famous Faces of Clan Carmichael
Did you know that Clan Carmichael has many famous artists from award winning painters to OBE-winning actors? To learn more about these famous Carmichael’s head to our blog
Clan Carmichael Poll
We have create a poll for all you members and supporters of Clan Carmichael! In this you can vote for your favourite aspect of the Clan Carmichael insignia?
The Story of Clan Carmichael
Discover the complex history and captivating heritage of the Carmichael family! Explore the symbolism behind the clan’s crest, the clan’s connection to St Margaret and the importance of the Battle of Marston Moore.
Clan Carmichael played an important role in Scottish history. Clan members should wear the clan crest with pride along with the beautiful tartans.
Clan Motto: Tout Jour Prest (Always Ready)
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