Something I don't know about after all these years...

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

What is the Scottish tradition when someone marries into a family with a non-clan-affiliated surname? Are the children relegated to a tartan-less existence?

Basically it is up to the individual. Let's say Moira Campbell from Loch Fyne married Mr. John DeGrazzio and came to live in Burbank, California. Their children might have no interest in things Scottish, being happy to belong to the Sons of Italy, or the Native Sons of the Golden West. On the other hand, they might want to assert their Scottishness, in which case they could go the whole hog and take their Mother's maiden name, or they could simply honour the "quaint custom" of wearing their Mother's tartan.

I mean, surely there are modern born-and-raised Scottish Highlanders who carry names other than the traditional clan-affiliated names, but consider themselves Highlanders and wear an occasional kilt. Do they default to regional tartans?

When this happens (as it does all the time) their choices are pretty straight forward-- they can wear their Mother's tartan and, if asked, simply reply with something like, "My Mother's people are Campbells from around Loch Fyne." Or they can wear one of the "universal" tartans, or a district tartan, or whatever they want. Generally speaking, in Scotland, no one comes up to you and asks about your tartan-- it is assumed that you are wearing a tartan to which you have some attachment, and that's an end to it.

In Scotland people generally have about the same interest in someone's tartan as people in Texas have about someone's blue jeans. In other words, it no big deal what someone else is wearing.

[Jordan]

There is always the most common way of finding your tartan used in Scotland today... Ask the person in the kilt show which tartans they have available to rent

In Scotland people generally have about the same interest in someone's tartan as people in Texas have about someone's blue jeans. In other words, it no big deal what someone else is wearing.

Unless the tartan is something special loud mc leod/loud SP? being the obvious choice for this example

Jordan

[Jock Scot]

There is always the most common way of finding your tartan used in Scotland today... Ask the person in the kilt show which tartans they have available to rent



Unless the tartan is something special loud mc leod/loud SP? being the obvious choice for this example

Jordan

Ahem. Some would regard "loud MacLeod" as very special indeed.

MoR is dead right though, we in Scotland don't bother which tartan any one is wearing and it would never occur to us to enquire either. It is noticed if more than one tartan is worn though. Most certainly most of us would be bored silly if some one started pontificating about thread counts, colours, tartan registration date, clan history and the rest. We have far more interesting things to talk about, like shooting,fishing, football, rugby,beer, weather, whisky, and some such.

[English Bloke]

... we in Scotland don't bother which tartan any one is wearing and it would never occur to us to enquire either. It is noticed if more than one tartan is worn though. Most certainly most of us would be bored silly if some one started pontificating about thread counts, colours, tartan registration date, clan history and the rest. We have far more interesting things to talk about, like shooting,fishing, football, rugby,beer, weather, whisky, and some such...

Rugby and beer... Ooooh yesss!

Interestingly (or not as the case may be) on our recent visit to Dumfries, I was asked by a couple of the locals in one establishment why, as an English Bloke, I was wearing the kilt but not once was I asked about the tartan I was wearing.

Then we got on to Rugby and beer... remarkable!

[Jordan]

Ahem. Some would regard "loud MacLeod" as very special indeed.

MoR is dead right though, we in Scotland don't bother which tartan any one is wearing and it would never occur to us to enquire either. It is noticed if more than one tartan is worn though. Most certainly most of us would be bored silly if some one started pontificating about thread counts, colours, tartan registration date, clan history and the rest. We have far more interesting things to talk about, like shooting,fishing, football, rugby,beer, weather, whisky, and some such.

I knew it was loud MacSomething, and I suppose it would depend on your definition of special

Your right, the amount of times Ive been asked what tartan im wearing can be counted on one hand with fingers to spare (my time in dumfries excluded) compared to the amount of times ive been asked why im wearing a kilt which must be in the hundreds

[McClef]

MoR is dead right though, we in Scotland don't bother which tartan any one is wearing and it would never occur to us to enquire either. It is noticed if more than one tartan is worn though.

Perhaps this is at least partly due to surprise at the notion that one could possibly have more than one kilt!

[Jock Scot]

Perhaps this is at least partly due to surprise at the notion that one could possibly have more than one kilt!

"Never was there such a true word spoken ,even if it was spoken in jest".

[Rob Wright]

We have far more interesting things to talk about, like shooting,fishing, football, rugby,beer, weather, whisky, and some such.

Quoted for truth Jock!


Rob