Wearing another clans Tartan?

[Nathan]

I find it interesting that the waters get murky when it comes to:

1. Pipe Bands
2. Military

When you're in a pipe band, people seem to be happy to put aside their objections to wearing another's clan tartan. I wonder why this is when some have such strong opinions of it in other circumstances. The same goes for MacKenzie, Campbell, Cameron (Erracht), Stewart Royal, etc tartans in Military settings. I'm not poking fun or making a backhanded statement... I truly wonder how this dichotomy sits with those who wear them, but wouldn't wear a MacDonald of the Isles Hunting kilt b/c it's not their clan.

With the vast amount of universal tartans out there now, most held as stock tartans at a mill, I'd think most pipe bands, especially in Scotland where wearing another's tartan isn't generally done, would be looking to change their uniform to a Universal / District tartan OR have their own tartan designed and woven. I would think this especially true of new bands just forming and looking for a tartan to wear.

Rocky, it's a fair question. I'll address it from a military perspective and I think since pipe bands are modelled after the military, that should cover it as well.

1) Wearing a clan tartan and your Chief's belted badge is a sign of loyalty to the head of your family and is a throwback to the days when you would gladly take up arms to defend his territory etc... The modern clan "uniform" was heavily influenced by persons with military service.

2) Militaries need uniforms. In the case of my regiment, we wore the clan tartan of the founding Colonel. He happened to be a MacDonald and so were many of us...In the context of a military regiment, your loyalty is first and foremost to your regimental command and not your father, grandfather or clan chief. So wearing the same tartan and a uniform cap badge means you're a family (clan) with your brothers in arms. Outside of a military context, my brothers in arms are my actual brothers and my kilted loyalty goes to the head of my family, i.e., my chief.

3) You're often honouring the history of your regiment. The Frazier Highlanders for example were originally raised on behalf of the crown by Lord Lovat. Many of the fighting men in the regiment were Fraziers, others were their neighbours or in-laws. A similar story holds true for the Cameron Highlanders. People who join the Fraziers are actually joining "the Fraziers" in a symbolic sense.

4) In the case of Regiments that use the Black Watch or Royal Stewart, your "clan chief" is clearly Her Majesty and you're wearing tartans sanctioned by her.

5) I am not a pipe band expert, but my Mom was in the MacLeod pipe band and wore Loud MacLeod of Lewis as her uniform. I believe the band was founded by a Pipe Major named MacLeod. Given the need for uniformity, perhaps there is a tradition of honouring the pipe major or band founder, thus providing historic continuity within the band. If you're taking orders from MacLeod, you can wear MacLeod I suppose.

In the absence of one of these historic and well founded exceptions, I don't like to see people wearing my tartan. I saw a man decked out in MacDonald of Clanranald at the Glengarry Highland Games a few years back. I introduced myself, eager to discuss our shared kinship and history only to find out that he wasn't a MacDonald and wasn't a Scot but there he was with my tartan on and my Chief's badge on his bonnet. He informed me that he paid for it and he'd wear what he liked and that the next day he was going to wear another clan tartan. I thought he was a wanker for impersonating a MacDonald...