How common is the wear of a Plaid that is a different tartan than the Klt?

[OC Richard]

This is one of my all-time favourite pipe band photos, the Isle Of Skye Pipe Band many years ago, which often appears on post cards.

Note that the kilts and plaids are two different MacDonald tartans. I love it! I don't think any non-Highland band would do such a thing.



Of course kiltwearing is far older than the concept of "clan tartans". Here are the MacDonald children mid 18th century. As you can see each garment is its own unique tartan. The kilt, jacket, and waistcoat of the child on the right are of three different tartans, though all use the same colours and do not clash. Wonderful to see this continue, on Skye, over 200 years later.



Sad in a way that hundreds of years of continuity on Skye has passed away, and the Isle Of Skye Pipe Band has switched to kilts of a recently designed tartan- Isle Of Skye!



Then, as now, the Drum Major is wearing an army kilt, not the kilt of the band. (And I think I spot a Queens Own Highlanders plaid brooch.)