Question about red based tartans

**Guinness>water** · 28th August 12, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by madmacs

Green black and white? Or a weathered version of... When did Lochbuie adopt the currently recognised tartan? Their hunting is blue right... ?

Green, black and white you are thinking of is probably the Maclean of Duart hunting tartan which are kin to the Maclaines of Lochbuie.
I have no idea when Locbuie's tartan came around. I think Tartan Authority says pre 18??. Who knows.
You are correct about the blue tartan, it is Maclaine hunting.

It kinda sucks to find out that named tartans are fairly recent. You would like to believe that your tartan has been your tartan since Wallace and the boys.

Thanks again for all the info figheadair. I knew you would be able to help.
I think I remember a long time ago, you asked why no one wears the pre culloden tartans. I cant recall what happened to that thread but would you mind listing a few of the tartans that you know of? I would be interested in seeing them.

Thanks again guys

**madmacs** · 28th August 12, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by Guinness>water

Green, black and white you are thinking of is probably the Maclean of Duart hunting tartan which are kin to the Maclaines of Lochbuie.
I have no idea when Locbuie's tartan came around. I think Tartan Authority says pre 18??. Who knows.
You are correct about the blue tartan, it is Maclaine hunting.

Yep duart hunting (see avatar) but since they were in each others backyard, and legend has it that maclean hunting dates waaaaaaaaaaaaay back, it's not too much of a stretch that theyd both have worn something similar....

**Guinness>water** · 28th August 12, 11:30 AM

it's not too much of a stretch that theyd both have worn something similar....

No, not at all. Probably did since they are on the same island. I have read that the Sobeski Stuarts "invented" the Duart hunting tartan, no disresect intended.

**figheadair** · 28th August 12, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by madmacs

Yep duart hunting (see avatar) but since they were in each others backyard, and legend has it that maclean hunting dates waaaaaaaaaaaaay back, it's not too much of a stretch that theyd both have worn something similar....

There's legend and then there's fact. The hunting tartan is a Vestiarium sett so dates to 1842, or 1829 if one uses the unpublished Cromarty Mss although there are discrepencies between the two.

It was claimed by D.W. Stewart in his 1893 Old and Rare Scottish Tartans that the hunting sett was/was likely to be the cloth described in a Charter of 1587 but there is absolutely not evidence to support this and it's entirely possible that the reference didn't even refer to tartan at all.

**Guinness>water** · 28th August 12, 11:47 AM

Thanks again for all the info figheadair. I knew you would be able to help.

I think I remember a long time ago, you asked why no one wears the pre culloden tartans. I cant recall what happened to that thread but would you mind listing a few of the tartans that you know of? I would be interested in seeing them.

**figheadair** · 28th August 12, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by Guinness>water

I have no idea when Locbuie's tartan came around. I think Tartan Authority says pre 18??. Who knows.

Yes, c1800 give or take about 10 years.

Thanks again for all the info figheadair. I knew you would be able to help.
I think I remember a long time ago, you asked why no one wears the pre culloden tartans. I cant recall what happened to that thread but would you mind listing a few of the tartans that you know of? I would be interested in seeing them.

The previous thread is here. That project (post #19) will have to wait for another winter but in the mean time you will find details of some of the setts amongst the information on my research page.

**madmacs** · 28th August 12, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by figheadair

There's legend and then there's fact. The hunting tartan is a Vestiarium sett so dates to 1842, or 1829 if one uses the unpublished Cromarty Mss although there are discrepencies between the two.

It was claimed by D.W. Stewart in his 1893 Old and Rare Scottish Tartans that the hunting sett was/was likely to be the cloth described in a Charter of 1587 but there is absolutely not evidence to support this and it's entirely possible that the reference didn't even refer to tartan at all.

Well I did try to keep myself clear of the attorneys and answer the colour question not pattern, and did mention legend rather than fact (I think 100+ years should qualify on that one)

**ctbuchanan** · 29th August 12, 03:19 PM

Here is a side by side comparison of the Buchanan Ancient and Buchanan Modern. I was always led to believe that the "Ancient" was based on the dyes that would have been available long ago i.e. roots, plants etc (not necessarily that the pattern is that old) and that the "Modern" was based on just that, modern dyes. Reading the other posts on the thread, that seems then to be very plausible.

**figheadair** · 30th August 12, 12:05 AM

Originally Posted by ctbuchanan

Here is a side by side comparison of the Buchanan Ancient and Buchanan Modern. I was always led to believe that the "Ancient" was based on the dyes that would have been available long ago i.e. roots, plants etc (not necessarily that the pattern is that old) and that the "Modern" was based on just that, modern dyes. Reading the other posts on the thread, that seems then to be very plausible.

Whilst I cannot see the image on this PC, your 'belief' is not historically correct. You may find this synopsis of use - http://www.scottishtartans.co.uk/The..._in_Tartan.pdf

**ctbuchanan** · 30th August 12, 10:17 AM

Thanks for the article - very interesting. And what it seems to say is that that I'm half correct. The "Modern" colors are a result of the more modern dyes used which result in darker, brighter colors but that the "Old or Ancient" colors are not indicative of the old dying methods just simply a desire to portray a tartan that is faded or sun-bleached because it looks good.

Aye.