Which tartan to associate with

**Border Reiver** · 29th July 12, 05:43 PM

Hello Susieq62,
A warm welcome to X Marks!

**Riverkilt** · 29th July 12, 07:22 PM

Susie, Susie, Susie....ya GOTTA get one of each! I love having multiple kilts representing the various clans whose blood runs in my veins.

Hardest part is choosing which one to wear to highland games to visit the clan tents....

**OC Richard** · 29th July 12, 08:07 PM

The tartans you mention all have interesting stories, and all of them are lovely.

Cameron of Erracht was devised for the Cameron Highlanders in 1793. It was the only clan Cameron tartan listed in early 19th century sources.

Forbes/Lamont have a convoluted early history but it seems that both were originally the same tartan, the tartan of the Gordon Highlanders with the yellow stripe changed to white.

There is a red Grant tartan which is given in Logan 1831 as Grant, but was being manufactured by Wilson 1819 under the name New Bruce, and is given for both Drummond and Grant in Smith 1850 and Smibert 1850. I myself would choose this tartan over the slightly defective "Grant" created by the Allen brothers in the 1840s.

I love all of that stuff, tracing tartans back to their earliest source, seeing the same pattern given different names at different points in time etc.

I don't choose the tartans I wear by either paternal or maternal lines or any such genealogical stuff... I wear tartans I like the colours of! I mostly wear Isle of Skye (a recent "fashion" tartan) and I'm close to finishing a kilt in Auld Scotland (an even more recent "fashion" tartan). All tartans in the old days merely "fashion" tartans anyhow. Assigning different designs to various clans is a relatively recent thing, dating to the early 19th century.

**Susieq62** · 29th July 12, 08:17 PM

Haha.. loving the responses! Yes OC Richard.. you and my sister are on the same wavelength.. she said "forget the clan, show me the tartans and I'll just pick the 'coolest'". Now there's historical respect for ya!

**Father Bill** · 1st August 12, 03:19 PM

Welcome to the Great Rabble!

**ohiopiper** · 6th August 12, 11:33 PM

All these responses are correct. You can choose either the tartan you feel "closest" to or just any tartan you like the look of, barring any restriction. Most tartans are not resricted, though.

**Truitt** · 7th August 12, 07:16 AM

Welcome from a newbie in Alaska!

I also found choosing a tartan to be a very daunting task. I have ancient ties to multiple clans and haven't yet decided on any clan tartans. My Scottish ancestry seem to be entirely from colonial America, so I decided on a kilt in the American Heritage tartan for now. And I have a Harley-Davidson kilt on order.

Have fun with the research and good luck choosing your tartan/s.