Tartan Rules

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

The MacMillan Clan sites lists the following:

Septs of the Clan: Baxter, Bell, Blue, Brown, Millikin/Mullikin, MacBaxter, MacNamell.
Names associated with the clan: Bacster Baker Bakster Baxstair Baxstar Baxstare Baxster Baxtar Baxter Bel Bele Bell Belle Bleu Blue Braun Bron Brouin Broun Broune Brown Browne Browyn Brun Brune Brwne Fuccatour Fuckater Fugater Fugatour Fuggatour Fuktor Fuktour Futtor MacBaxtar MacBaxter MacFaktur MacFuktor MacFuktur MacGhilleghuirm MacGilleghuirm MacGilliegorm MacIlvail MacIngvale MacInnocater MacInnowcater MacInnowcatter MacInnugatour MacInocader MacInuctar MacInucter MacInvaille MacInvale MacInville MacKmillan MacKnockater MacKnocker MacKnockiter MacMhaolain MacMigatour MacMilane MacMillan MacMilland MacMillen MacMillin MacMillon MacMolan MacMolane MacMolland MacMuckater MacMulan MacMulane MacMullan MacMullen MacMullin MacMullon MacMuncater MacMuncatter MacMungatour MacMylan MacMyllan MacMyllane MacNamaoile MacNamell MacNamil MacNamill MacNaucater MacNomiolle MacNomoille MacNowcater MacNowcatter MacNucadair MacNucater MacNucator MacNucatter MacNuctar MacNuicator MacVaxter Makbaxstar Makinnocater Makmilane Makmillem Makmulane Makmullane Makmylan Makmyllan Makmyllane Makmyllen Nucator Valker Waker Walcair Walcar Walcare Walcer Walkar Walker Waulcar

Without doing a search on the Tartan Authority I believe that Brown and also few of the "names associated with the clan" have separate tartan. However, I was speaking somewhat generically. As I understand it the Clan system was not limited by family (blood line) association, but was more of a mutual aid grouping. If you lived in a Clans "borders" and pledged your self to the clan you were a member of the clan.

I'm aware of the various names associated with Clan MacMillan-- I am also aware that almost all of these are variant spellings of six names: MacMillan, Baxter, Bell, Blue, Brown , and Walker. Treating with the last five, we find that these were nicknames of the progenitor of each of these Septs. Baxter=the baker; Bell (or Bellah) indicates living at the mouth of a river on Loch Tay; Blue due to blue eyes; Brown, ditto; Walker= "to wauk the fleece" (preparing wool after the sheep has been shorn). Now all of these names trace back to "MacMillan", and for the purposes of Clan MacMillan, that's the tartan they'd wear. There are two sept names that do not have MacMillan origins: Squire (of Rubislaw) and Way (of Plean), both of whom are members of the clan by bonds of mandrent signed by the late General Sir Gordon MacMillan of MacMillan and Knap, Chief of the Clan. Both of these gentlemen wear MacMillan tartan.

To suggest that a sept (a dependent body of a clan, owing allegiance to its Chief) would have a separate tartan doesn't make much sense. But I can see where reading a list of "names and tartans" could cause some confusion. I think the name "Bell" is an excellent case in point:

There are MacMillan-Bells and then, down in the borders, there are the Blacket House Bells who are in no way connected to the MacMillans. Over the past twenty-five years the Blacket House Bells have formed a family association, located their "Chief Presumptive", and registered a tartan. So, if you look at a tartan list, you will find a "Bell tartan". It's nice. It's blue. But it's nothing whatsoever to do with the MacMillans, and it would be wrong for a MacMillan-Bell to appropriate it as the "Bell" tartan, because it belongs to another family.

What I was referring to in my original post were MacMillans, and that includes all sept names, who are members of the Clan (see the last paragraph of Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw's article as sited above), showing up at a clan event in a tartan other than MacMillan tartan.

No "clan society" that I am aware of requires its members to wear a kilt. Looking neat and tidy is good enough. However, it is reasonable to expect those clan members attending a clan event, who are wearing tartan, to wear their clan tartan and not the tartan of some other clan.