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Scottish Rivers Tartans Page


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Scottish Rivers Tartans

5 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.

Rivers in Scotland

From the Start

Scottish Rivers Tartan Origins & History

River Tweed Scotland

Explore the History

How it all started

Scotland is renowned for it's abundance of fresh water, scenic excellence and wildlife, with many networks of rivers, burns, lochs and pools being so unique and much loved across the landscape. There are more than 125,000km of rivers and streams across Scotland moving through varied scenery, historic towns and world famous cities. Some of the rivers which form an essential part of the landscape include the River Tay, which is the longest in the country stretching across 120 miles. It originates in western Scotland on the slopes of Ben Lui and flows easterly across the Highlands, finally mounting at the Firth of Tay just south of Dundee. The River Clyde is the next largest river which flows through the city of Glasgow and sources in the Lowther Hills in South Lanarkshire before finishing at the mouth of the Clyde. Another prominent river is the River Tweed which flows across the Scottish Borders not far from ScotlandShop HQ! As with the Clyde, the Tweed stems from the Lowther Hills before moving towards the North Sea. More include the River Spey, the River Forth and many, many others.

With the plentiful supple of freshwater, there is no surprise that Scotland is one the the top destinations in the world for fishing. From the Scottish Borders all the way to Argyll, you can completely immerse yourself in the finest Scottish landscapes, combining peaceful surroundings with a much loved sport. While exploring the wonders of Scottish rivers, you can discover a huge variety of species with excellent salmon, trout and pike fishing possibilities whilst in the midst of some of the most wonderful scenery in the world.

What's in the tartan?

The Rivers of Scotland tartan is mainly a dull grey with muted blues running throughout, resembling the flowing clear freshwaters across the Scottish landscape. There are also many other tartans related to the specific rivers themselves such as the Tay, Tweed, Gala Water, Ettrick Water, Talla Water and Tyne.

Alba Game Fishing Image

Alba Game Fishing

Providing luxury bespoke fishing experiences across Scotland, Alba Game Fishing have a team of 20 guides and qualified casting instructors who are located throughout Scotland covering all the best fishing spots. Their collective experience and knowledge of the Scottish waters can help you with your fishing experience and allow you to truly enhance the unforgettable locations and scenery. Read more about river fishing on the Scottish Pastimes - Tweed on the River Tweed blog from when Stewart from Alba Game Fishing popped into our Edinburgh Shop to tell us a bit more about just why fishing in Scotland, especially the River Tweed, is just so special.


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