prohibited tartans

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I wear Campbel of Argyle (Modern) tartan but unfortunatley the only one really available is not a recognised tartan. One of the previous clan chiefs had a yellow pattern added but he was the only one that wore it at that time to distinguish himslef from the rest of the clan. It has never been registered but has been adpoted by tartan makers and now very common.

The original question was whether there are any clan cheifs who have definitively stated that their tartan is to be restricted to those with blood ties to the clan only. The case of the Campbell of Argyle tartan is different. In this case the clan cheif has definitely stated that the so-called "Campbell of Argyle" tartan is not a clan tartan. It says nothing about whether the actual recognized Campbell tartans should be restricted in their use.

But I did want to correct something you said in your post. The Campbell of Argyle tartan is not the only Campbell tartan readily available. The standard clan tartan (Campbell or Black Watch) is readly available from all of the tartan mills, usually in several color options -- ancient, modern, weathered, muted, etc. The other recognized Campbell tartans (Louden, Breadalbane, Cawdor) are also available from the major tartan mills, though individual retailers may not be as likely to stock them. Nevertheless, they should be available for purchase in a kilt without having to custom order the cloth.

So if you are a Campbell and wish to wear a tartan recognized by your cheif, you should be able to do so easily. The popular Campbell of Argyle tartan is by no means the only one available.