What is 'Tartan'?

The Gaelic word "Breacan", meaning chequered, is the original name given to the many different patterns of stripes which are seen and recognised all over the world under the common name 'Tartan'. Tartans have been used in the Highlands for many centuries and over the centuries have become a symbol of clan kinsmanship. 'District' tartans were first used. This means that one tartan was worn by all who lived in the one district. This was probably due to availability of natural dies. Because clans owned large districts the tartans became known as 'Clan' tartans - meaning that they were to be worn by one clan, therefore, all clans could recognise each other.

After the battle of Culloden, the wearing of tartans was banned by law and it wasn't until the 1800s when people realised that the culture and importance of the tartans was being lost. Therefore, there was a great movement towards Scotland's past - where people tried to understand everything they could about the lost heritage. Portraits proved great sources to reconstruct tartans from and clan chiefs were made to give in any tartans that they had so that they could be kept safe. Weaver's notes also helped in the reconstruction process. When George IV visited Edinburgh in 1822 the tailoring and weaving industry boomed and also Sir Walter Scott's remark "Let every man wear his tartan" was also influencial to the reconstruction of the very strands of Gaelic culture. When the wearing of tartan was banned only the Royal tartan (to be worn by the royal family) and military tartans (to be worn only to those of the military) were permitted. Therefore, the Royal Stewart Tartan worn by Prince Charles Edward Stewart became known as simply the 'Stewart' tartan. There were many different types of tartans including Trade, and mourning tartans. Below is a list of the main styles in tartans:

District Tartan - As stated above, the district tartans were some of the first used tartans. They eventually became clan tartans and only very few of this type of tartan remains today.

Clan Tartan - The clan tartan is the most well know of all the types of tartan. It is used as a means of identifying which clan you belong too. This form of tartan is very common, but it was still very difficult to find them after the battle of Culloden.

Dress Tartan - The dress tartan is the type of tartan which is usually worn when having an evening function, entertaining, or socialising formally. The dress tartan is usually made up of reds, whites, yellows, and blacks - but there are some tartans which are simply all yellow and black or (as the Rob Roy tartan is) all red and black.

Hunting Tartan - The hunting tartan is usually worn when hunting (as the name suggests) or when doing day work. It is usually made up of greens and blacks and darker colours. The hunting tartan was also worn into battle if need be.

Mourning Tartan - The mourning tartan is probably the most uncommon and irrelevant tartan ever established. It usually consists of purely blacks and whites and is used to wear to funerals and other grieving events. It is usually made up of a black background with white stripes. The Royal Stewart Mourning tartan consists of the Royal Stewart design with the background red substituted for black and all the other colours substituted for different shades of white.

Wedding Tartan - The wedding tartan (as the name suggests) is the tartan to be worn to weddings. It is usually made up of whites, blues, and other peaceful colours. It is a very nice tartan to be used but, despite its appeal, it is not very common.

Chief's Tartan - The chief's tartan is the tartan which is to be worn only by the chief, his wife, and his sons. The tartan differs only slightly from the clan tartan and one yellow line may sometimes make the difference. It is considered rude and stupid to wear the chief's tartan if you are not the chief, his wife, or one of his sons.

Royal Tartan - The Royal tartan is to be worn only by the royal family. The Royal Stewart tartan has come to be the accepted royal tartan. Like the chief's tartan, it is considered rude and stupid to wear it if you are not related by blood to the royal family.

The current known amount of tartans reaches over 2,500 and many have been discovered in the past two hundred years.

How are Tartans Made?

The basic process for weaving tartan is that each thread must be threaded under two threads and then over two threads, under two threads and then over two threads, &c. The original tartans were very lightweight but could keep the wearer very warm (which was crucial due to the weather conditions of Scotland). The oldest piece of tartan found is thought to be about 1700 years old. It was found, buried in the ground, in an old pot with over 1900 Roman silver coins in it. The wool is undyed and thought to have come from the Soay sheep which can still be found in the island of St. Kilda but which once inhabited all of Scotland.

Many people ask "what's the difference between a tartan and a check?". We'll take the chess board as an example. The chess board is made up of two colours only and they are arranged in a special order. Tartan will always have a minimum of three colours because of the overlapping of the main two. However, many tartans have many different colours and lines but the simplest (the Rob Roy tartan) consists of red, black, and the overlapping colour. This is the difference between the tartan patterns and the check patterns.

The process of making the tartan is to first collect the wool and prepare the fibres to be spun. Then the fibres must be spun into yarn and then this wool must be dyed. Once the wool has been dyed it must be separately weaved into the tartan cloth. After a basic cloth has been made it must be 'Waulked'. Waulking was when the women of the clan would stretch the cloth over a frame and stretch it into shape. This was a very long and tedious job so they often sang and said poetry to themselves to keep them occupied. There are many different Waulking songs and some can be bought and listened to on CDs by Scottish folk singers.