Gordon Tartan Dilemma

[guitarmatt]

The tartan usually called "red Gordon" is actually the "old Huntly" sett according to what I have read. The usual Huntly district tartan is based on the same pattern as MacRae.

Interesting. The Huntly does indeed look very similar to the MacRae, which seems to be of a similar vintage. The STA also has this to say about the Huntly tartan:

From Wilsons’ 1819 – Marchioness of Huntly’s tartan. Also from ‘Old and Rare Scottish Tartans’ published in 1893 by D.W. Stewart. The book was illustrated by samples woven in silk. The Huntly district tartan is known to have been worn at the time of the ’45 rebellion by Brodies, Forbes’, Gordons, MacRaes, Munros and Rosses which gives a strong indication of the greater antiquity of the ‘District’ setts compared to the Clan tartans.
Jamie Scarlett MBE says (Jan 2005) that this tartan was the personal tartan of the Marchioness – thus the Wilson’s name ‘The Marchioness of Huntly’s Tartan’ but over time, because it contained the name ‘Huntly’ it became accepted and used as the district tartan for Huntly.

A battalion commanded by James Moir served under Lord Lewis Gordon at the Battle of Culloden. I don't know if anyone in my family was involved, but they were certainly in the area at the time.