Clan Primary Image Chisholm

Scottish Clans

Chisholm Tartans & Clan

Clan Chisholm were well known cattle raiders. One of their biggest raids was in 1498 when Wiland Chisholm of Comar managed to carry off 15 horses, 60 cows and over 300 sheep along with 56 oxen and 80 swine all from Clan Rose.

Clan Motto Feros ferio (I am fierce with the fierce)

Who Wears Chisholm 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.

  • Cheseholme
  • Chisholm
  • Chisholme
  • Cheishame
  • Cheishelm
  • Cheisholme
  • Chesame
  • Chesehelme
  • Cheseholm
  • Cheseim
  • Cheshelm
  • Cheshelme
  • Chesholm
  • Chesholme
  • Cheshom
  • Chesim
  • Chesolm
  • Chesolme
  • Chesom
  • Chesome
  • Chessam
  • Chessame
  • Chesseholme
  • Chisholm
  • Chisholme
  • Chism
  • Chisolm
  • Chisolme
  • Chisomme
  • Chissem
  • Chissim
  • Chissolme
  • Schisholme
  • Schishome
  • Schisolme
  • Schisome
  • Sheshelm
  • Shisholme
  • Fenton

Shop Chisholm Tartans & Clan From Curtains to Clothing, use the filters below to navigate through everything we offer in Chisholm Tartans

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.

Clan Origin Primary Image Chisholm

From the start

Chisholm Clan Origins & History

Clan Origin History Image Chisholm Update

Explore the history of Clan Chisholm

How it all started

Territories

Roxburghshire and Invernesshire

Clan Chief

The current chief is Hamish Chisholm of Chisholm

Where does the name Chisholm come from?

The original surname was De Chese (to choose) coming from Norman origins to which the Saxon term Holme (meadow) was added.

Clan Origin Location Image Chisholm

Erchless Castle

Visit the stunning Glenn of Strathglass by the River Beauly and you will come across the Erchless Castle, a classic Norman L shape with turretts, built in the 13th century and home of Clan Chisholm in the 16th century. Originally granted to the Bisset family by King William in 1211, the estate was then split and only in 1403 that the Chisholm name appears in the shape of Thomas Chisholm, son of the Margaret del Aird. Thomas shared Erchless with William de Fenton until the king came of age and the lands came back under the crown until 1512 when they passed to James Haliburton of Gask.

Clan Chisholm's Animal is a Wild Boar

Clan Motto: Feros ferio (I am fierce with the fierce)


Explore More...