Everything You Need to Know About Scottish Tartan

Have you ever wondered why Scots love tartan so much? Here we bring you a short lesson in Scottish tartan, where we will touch on the history of the cloth and how it is used today. Read on to discover everything about tartan!

Tartan is a colorful woven wool cloth that consists of bold colors and crisscrossing horizontal and vertical stripes. It is iconic to Scotland, and we doubt anyone who would not recognize the heritage fabric, especially when the kilt is such a talking point for visitors to the country. Men in kilts, in particular, are a topic of interest! Regularly seen on Highland dancers, bagpipe players, the Queen's Guard and Scottish grooms on their wedding day, tartan is a symbol of Scotland and proudly worn to celebrate the history of our fantastic culture.

A bit of tartan history

Tartan originated in the Highlands, dating back to the 15th century, where the tartan cloth was part of the everyday garb of the Highlander. We know that to be a kilt today was a 5-meter length of fabric draped around themselves and tied with a belt – not as complex as the modern kilt. Men mainly wore their tartan this way, while the woman would wear a square of cloth draped over their shoulders or a bonnet tied under the chin.

Early tartans were a lot simpler than the more complex patterns we see today, quite often featuring two or three colours. The locals to each area would use local plants, berries and mosses to dye the wool, thus creating unique patterns, and these would then become their clan tartan – relative to each area. Clans would form their identity around their tartan. To this day Scottish people still honor their ancestors by wearing their family tartan, some of the oldest being Clan MacLeod, Clan Campbell and Clan MacGregor.

Over time, weavers were able to introduce more elaborate patterns due to the evolution of chemical dyes, and as knowledge, skills and equipment improved, production of the cloth became quicker. As generations went on and clans grew through marriage and birth, the newer clans would create tartans of their own which usually meant adding an extra stripe or colour into the parent tartan. It all changed in 1745, after the battle of Culloden, when an Act of Parliament was passed which made the carrying of weapons and the wearing of tartan a penal offence, and by 1785 tartan was a thing of the past and many Scots had lost their enthusiasm and love for their clan creations!

But tartan was rescued when George IV visited Edinburgh and suggested that people attending the official functions should wear their respective tartans. As most of the original patterns had been lost, this required clan tartans to be re-created by the tailors of that day. Since then, tartan has made a strong comeback. To this day is celebrated as a Scottish heirloom and is used in traditional ceremonies such as weddings, regimental and royal celebrations, and cultural events. Many Scots and other nationalities bring tartan into their everyday lives too, whether in fashion, interior design, or homeware.

Several variations of one tartan may be worn and these tend to take their name from the purpose for which they were intended.

Clan tartans – for general use by the clans people.

Dress tartans – initially worn by the clan's women, generally with a white background and lighter-colored patterns.

Mourning tartans – generally of black and white.

Hunting tartans – dark in colour and worn for sport, especially suitable when a clan possessed a brightly coloured tartan, making it unsuitable for hunting.

Chiefs' tartans – for the personal use of the chief and his immediate family.

Tartan has now gained international popularity, with people selecting and sporting a design of their fancy. However, a word of warning, the Royal tartan, is for the exclusive use of the royal family and woe betide anyone who dares to break with this tradition!

Traditional Highland dress

Highland dress is the traditional, regional dress of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. This is most characterized in the kilt – a knee-length, skirt-like garment that men wear. This is a length of woven wool that is tailored into a wraparound garment with a fabulous, pleated section at the back. This mass of pleats comprises around 7 meters of fabric, which creates an unusual swaying movement that many men love to show off, especially at a good old 'knees up!

Women are more likely to be found in full-length tartan skirts and are rarely seen in knee-length kilts. However, kilts are the performance costume of our skilled Highland dancers and you will find them showing off their skills whilst donning colour coordinated outfits consisting of a kilt, knee-length socks, a blouse and a waistcoat.

Nowadays, most Scottish men will choose to wear a kilt on their wedding day. If they have historically solid clan connections, they will likely choose to wear their family tartan. However, this is not essential and many men will pick out a tartan they find visually pleasing and dress their groomsmen in the same. It is said there is nothing more handsome than a man in a kilt, but we will let you decide that for yourself! The alternative to the tartan kilt is the tartan trousers which also look smart with a waistcoat and jacket.

Where can you buy tartan?

Tartan can be purchased in many shapes and forms, from basic lengths of fabric to tartan scarves and accessories, so depending on what you want, there are lots of options when it comes to buying tartans. If you are looking for lengths of tartan, your best bet is to look up local fabric shops and see what they have in stock. Most specific tartan suppliers will stock each tartan in three different weights: lightweight, medium-weight, and heavyweight. The heavier fabric is traditionally used for hand-sewn kilts but is suitable for many other uses, from coatings to upholstery.

When choosing tartan, if opting for the most appealing pattern lacks sentimental value, then it only fits to learn your clans. Unbeknown to many, the clan system wasn’t linked with tartan patterns until the early 19th century. Today, most choose a tartan associated with their surname, or ‘clan’. If that name isn’t linked to a specific one, then embark on a hunt for a district tartan that may be linked to your ancestor’s whereabouts. A quick Google search regarding clan names or consulting the many books on hand will answer all clan possibilities related to your surname.