Reenactor tartans

[Guthrumironhead]

I have noticed in my internet image searches that many of the reenactors of 18th century Highlanders like the Black Watch and Montgomery’s 77th wear kilt tartans in a tiny sett. I have read that the tartans of that period were indeed smaller settings than the heavy weight fabrics of the 20th century, but would they have been as small as these that are used so commonly by reenactors here in the United States? In the portrait of Lord Dunmore, and the Copley painting of Hugh Montgomerie the settings appear to be very close in size to a 16 oz version of today’s government sett. Are the reenactors, who are so famously thorough when researching their impressions, getting it wrong, or is the cost of tartan cloth forcing them to go with lighter weight fabric, thus smaller appearing setts? I can’t imagine someone willing to fork out over a grand for a musket or $500.00 for a regimental coat cutting corners on the philabeg or plaid. The pics I saw just jumped out at me as not looking right.