Posted by Maris on 29th Nov 2023
Do All Scottish Families Have a Tartan?
Although the checked pattern known as "tartan" in Gaelic — or "plaid" to the rest of the world — has been around for thousands of years, it only lately become shorthand for Scottish pride. And just because you have a Scottish surname or can trace your ancestors back to Scotland does not mean your family has its own distinct tartan.
Because certain types of family tartans are solely linked with specific Highland clans, and not everyone's Scottish ancestry can be traced back to the Scottish Highlands, the birthplace of kilts, bagpipes, Tam o' Shanters, and, yes, tartan.
However, because Highland traditional dress has been romanticized as the truest representation of Scottish-ness since the Victorian era, there are plenty of tourist stores in Edinburgh that will gladly sell you a tartan apparently tied to your Scottish ancestry.
"Anyone can go get a tartan, but that doesn't mean everyone has a tartan," explains Alistair Braidwood, the creator and host of the Scots Whay Hae! podcast. "That's what tartan has become, a way of selling Scotland to the world, and to itself as well."