Military Tartans?

[An t-Ileach]

Although I didn't serve in a Scottish regiment (they move too slowly for mine, after the disbandment of the Cameronians), I have lots of family who were in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. And the Government Tartan was meant to be a general tartan anyway, rather than a specifically military one (I know that's splitting hairs as the Disarming Act 1746 banned the wearing of tartan for anyone other than gentry and serving military).

Since the present government has killed off the six Scottish regiments and hasn't come up with the (taxpayers') money to weave a new tartan for the Royal Regiment of Scotland, I think wearing the Government Tartan (i.e. the 'Black Watch') is an important gesture to make a point, if nothing else, and to show solidarity with all those who did serve - in many people's minds it still is the Black Watch Tartan although it, strictly speaking, is no longer a military tartan.

However, if the government did the sensible thing (what's the odds on that?) and adopted the Government Tartan for the RRS, then of course it would become an active military tartan again.

[macwilkin]

Although I didn't serve in a Scottish regiment (they move too slowly for mine, after the disbandment of the Cameronians), I have lots of family who were in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. And the Government Tartan was meant to be a general tartan anyway, rather than a specifically military one (I know that's splitting hairs as the Disarming Act 1746 banned the wearing of tartan for anyone other than gentry and serving military).

Since the present government has killed off the six Scottish regiments and hasn't come up with the (taxpayers') money to weave a new tartan for the Royal Regiment of Scotland, I think wearing the Government Tartan (i.e. the 'Black Watch') is an important gesture to make a point, if nothing else, and to show solidarity with all those who did serve - in many people's minds it still is the Black Watch Tartan although it, strictly speaking, is no longer a military tartan.

However, if the government did the sensible thing (what's the odds on that?) and adopted the Government Tartan for the RRS, then of course it would become an active military tartan again.

The RRS is wearing the Government sett, which caused great (and justified) consternation among members of the other regiments who had their own specific regimental tartans.

Also, when referring to the Government Sett/Black Watch as a "universal" one, it doesn't necessarily mean "universal" in the most general sense, but a "universal" military tartan to be worn by all Scottish regiments, Highland and Lowland. The Royal Scots, for example, wore trews in Black Watch in 1881 before adopting the Hunting Stewart tartan in 1907 (Henderson, "The Scottish Regiments").

Regards,

Todd