Scottish Tartan
Series

Introduced: EST after 1962 through the 1970s

Black Watch

The use of a three colour check, with black separating green and blue, is unlikely to have been an existing design in 1739 when it was proposed. It has since been associated with Campbell because of their role in leading the Black Watch and other Government forces. Being a subdued tartan, with benefits for camouflage rather than display, it perhaps influenced the later creation of Hunting Tartans in the late 1800s. This tartan was differenced by the Duke of Gordon by adding a yellow over check, to create the Gordon (1793) and by the early 1800s, the Duke of Argyll and other Campbell houses had adapted a number of variations like Campbell which is a lightened Black Watch. During the 19^th Century, the "tartans for every name" movement, begun by Sir Walter Scott, and the adoption of tartans throughout the Scottish regiments, led to a vast range of variations of the Black Watch, but usually in lighter shades of blue and green. The full Black Watch tartan gives the impression of a shorter pattern than it is, because the under check is Blue - Black - Green. However the real under check is Blue - Black - Green - Black - Blue and this allows the opposite blues to carry a different over check. The first blue can carry a single tramline in its centre, whilst the last blue can have the distinctive double tramline leaving the centre clear, and this is the most significant feature of the full pattern. The eye can be confused by the combinations, off the main diagonal, of single and double tramlines crossing and the pattern therefore appears very complex yet having coherent elements. When this Government pattern was adapted, the blues and greens were usually lightened as in the Campbell and the pattern reduced in size to the more expected Blue - Black - Green under check.

Cameron

The Clan Cameron has a recorded history from the fifteenth century, although unsubstantiated histories have its roots reaching back to the supposed first chief, Angus Cameron, living about the year 1000.  They resided in the "Cameron Country" of Lochaber, an area roughly 12 by 16 miles near the present day town of Fort William, in Scotland's West Highlands.  The history of the Camerons, as a Scottish clan, is an extensive and often combative one, for that was how men learned to survive and live another day

Cameron of Lochiel:  This red and blue tartan is similar to that worn by the 18th Chief, Donald "The Gentle Lochiel" Cameron in a portrait hanging at Achnacarry.  It was first illustrated in 1810 in Wilson's Collection.  This is the personal tartan of the Chief and his immediate family; as a rule it should not be worn by clansfolk.

Campbell

The name Campbell seems to come from the Gaelic Cam Beul, which translates as Crooked Mouth. The users of this name are known to have been around as a powerful family even in the time of the ancient kingdom of Dalriada, though the earliest Campbell to be found in written records is Gillespie of east-central Scotland, who had lands in this area granted to him in 1263.
The Campbell tartan is also known as the Campbell of Argyll, or Campbell of Lochawe. In the late eighteenth century this tartan was in use by the Duke of Argyll. The tartan is the Black Watch tartan with additional white and yellow stripes. Later Dukes sought to exclude the white and yellow stripes, which they claimed were only used to distinguish Chiefs.

MacDonald

Long the mightiest of all the clans, Clan Donald sprang from Donald, grandson of Somerled King of the Isles and Lord of Argyll and Kintyre.

In the fourteenth century the MacDonalds, who assumed the style of Lord of the Isles, held in the South Isles and part of the North Isles. Good John of Islay is reckoned first Lord of the Isles from 1354. From his first marriage to the heiress to the MacRuaris held in the Outer Isles and Garmoran, including Moidart, Knoydart and Morvern. The inheritance he passed to his elder son Ranald, to be held under the suzerainty of his younger son Donald, the son of his second marriage to Margaret, daughter of King Robert II. Donald he appointed Lord of the Isles and High Chief of Clan Donald

Macleod

Clan MacLeod is a Highland Scottish clan. The Gaelic form is Clann Mhic Leòid. Clann means children, while mhic is the genitive of mac, the Gaelic for son, and Leòid is the genitive of Leòd. The whole phrase therefore means The children of the son of Leod. The Clan MacLeod is made up of two branches, Siol Thormoid (the MacLeods of Harris and Skye) and Siol Thorcuil

The best known MacLeod tartan is “loud” MacLeod, a yellow tartan with three broad black bands and a narrow red line. The tartan was designed in 1841 as “MacLeod.” It is sometimes called dress MacLeod and MacLeod of Lewis, but it was designed long after the family of the Lewes had ceased to be chiefs. Any MacLeod may wear the tartan

Royal Stewart

The Royal Stewart Tartan is the tartan of the royal House of Stewart, and is also the personal tartan of Queen Elizabeth. It is said to be appropriate for all subjects of Elizabeth to wear the Royal Stewart tartan, much in the same way that clansmen may wear the tartan of their clan chief. Officially, the tartan is worn by numerous military groups, and a select few civilian groups. The 5th Potters Bar Scout Group wear the scarf officially, with permission from the Queen, and the Queen's Bands (of Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario) wears the tartan as part of their official uniforms.