Quote Originally Posted by Morris at Heathfield View Post
Hm, not sure what more I can figure out about the tartan from the photograph that I haven't already. I suppose I'll make a haphazard guess as to the location where it was found: Mar.
Very haphazard. Why Mar? Actually, that's about as far off beam as it's possible to get.

By the way, I've read about a hypothesis that all or most of the tartans predating the Proscription can be divided (roughly by geography) into three or four types. Jamie Scarlett recognized three types: the Ross type worn north of the Great Glen, the Mackintosh type worn in the Grampians, and the Macdonald type worn in the west. I have a book that gives four types: Huntly, Glenorchy, Lochaber, and Lennox. What's your take on the idea, Peter?
You may want to post this as a separate thread as it's a huge subject and one that has been discussed before I'm sure, probably in the context of district tartans. I'm broadly in agreement with the concept of regional groupings but not necessarily with Jamie Scarlett's classification. Historically I certainly don't recognise the four types you quote. The trouble is that previous writers have based their ideas on groups that include post c1780 setts in which I include: Huntly, Lochaber and Lennox.

I'm working on a paper that I hope will prove the existance of a generic Applin/Lorn/Lochaber setting based on several pre-'45 specimens.