The Origins of the Tartan

Historians generally agree that the "official" clan tartans were named and established around the end of the 1700s, but evidence show that they existed in a less official form long before that time. In fact there are records showing that they existed in a simpler form (woven, undyed sheep's wool) as far back as the third century A.D.
It is believed that most tartans were at first associated with the area they came from, rather than a specific clan. However, in those times many clans were inseparably linked to the area in which they lived, so the progression from geographical association to clan association is logical.
The most likely reason that specific tartans became popular in specific areas is that the local weaver (limited in his choice of dyes to what he could take from the surrounding areas) would produce large quantities of similar material out of convenience.
This fabric was often used to distinguish one clan from another in battle, and many references state that the chief had a large role in deciding the pattern and the colour of the plaids to be worn in battle. This tradition is carried on today in that all new tartans must must have the approval of the clan chief.
Of course the most well known use of clan tartans is the kilt, which is in turn one of the symbols most commonly identified with Scotland. If you would like to read more on the kilt, please read our recent article.
How To Find Your Tartan
There are many good resources for finding out which tartan you should wear. Parents, grand parents, and other relatives may be able to tell you, or at least set you on the right track. Another good start is using the resources available on this site, such as Great Hall or the Clan Finder. Some other online resources include:

House of Tartan
Tartan Day
On-line Tartans
The Scottish Tartans Society
Tartans of Scotland

Thursday, December 26th, 2019

Attention visitors: Tartans.com is back. Please note that this is a snapshot of the site as it existed nearly 20 years ago and you may encounter broken links; we are still combing through the site and correcting those as we find them. Please also note that some sections are currently not functional, primarily the discussion forums/clan chat boards.