I must admit I’ve not witnessed the evolution of tartan and the kilt-scene in recent years and the growth of the culture, so a recent development surprised me. In the 1960’s, my family got on the tartan trail, modestly to begin, with a tartan tie. This was the first time I had seen our tartan, the Gow tartan. It was a quietly attractive tartan in 3 colours, red, green and black. The colours weren’t full-on, they were muted, so that instead of bright red, the red looked more like Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup red and the green was a pale green. The combination of generally equally wide stripes was simple but effective. Even the reduced tie-sett looked attractive. I got used to its look. About a year or so later, my dad, brother and I got our first Gow kilts. I was surprised to find the colours were different. They were red, green and dark blue. The colours were bright full colours. This time I was happy to get proper a kilt, but the different colours made me wonder why the tie was different. Cut to 1970. We all got new Gow kilts and jackets etc, this time from Gordon Stobo at Highland House, Lawnmarket, Edinburgh. My proper grown up outfit. The kilts were exactly the same as the tie had been, in muted red, green and black and what a bonny kilt it was (still is – it’s at home). People used to often admire its colours and simple elegance. A famous book on Highland clans and tartans of that time showed Gow as exactly that colourway.

I remember a singer we knew from Lewis called Hector Smith who wore a green/blue/yellow/red tartan tie. He said that was Smith tartan. The book showed it as Smith tartan.

Which brings us to the internet age.

When I look at the Gow tartan on internet sites, every single one, every trader and on-line store and even the Gow site shows Gow tartan as red/green/dark blue. That has me flummoxed as my beloved red/green/black appears nowhere. Does this mean if I wanted a Gow kilt for my son, it has to be red/green/dark blue ? I was of the opinion that the 18th Century Raeburn portrait of Niel Gow showed him in red/green/black trews.

What has happened over the last few years ? Where has the red/green/black Gow gone ? Furthermore, the green/blue/yellow/red tartan I knew as Smith is now called alternately Hunting Gow and Ancient Gow.

Is this a case of moving with the times or a result of better detective work on family setts or is it commercial convenience ?