[Blu (Ontario)]

As most of us know, there are a host of district , open, and general tartans appropriate for anyone to wear. I recently started thinking about a future kilt and started browsing

http://www.house-of-tartan.scotland.net/

for non-clan tartans to see what I liked. The three that appealed to me the most were... Maple Leaf 2034, Isle of Skye 2155, and Nova Scotia 1713. Other awsome tartans are American with Eagle 2007, Pride of Scotland 2469, Edinburgh District1161, Manitoba 144, and Strathspey District 1039. Others such as Locharron 731, Musselburgh 620, Scotland the Brave 2563, Alberta 1945, Muskoka 1799, Braveheart 2185, etc.... just make the choice that much more difficult. I had no idea there were so many.

I'm curious to know what non-clan tartans appeal to your tastes and why.

cheers,
blu

[Rufus]

Currently, I'm jonesing for a Maple Leaf tartan tank. Hopefully it's officially ordered tomorrow morning.

Before I found the killer deal on the maple leaf, I was getting my pennies together for a Co. Armagh Irish tartan kilt. One of the Wicked Tinkers had a kilt in this tartan, and it was superb! Also helps that I can trace my gran's family back to there.

I also like the Caledonia tartan. It looks really bright and busy as a swatch, but it looks incredible as a kilt.

Others I like: Edinburgh, Holyrood, Ulster, Cape Breton, Fermanagh, Kildare, Nova Scotia...

[Anonymous]

Hi Blu.

I am still so new to this that I am still feeling my way around on the Tartans I like. I only have one Kilt at the momnent, an Amerikilt Black. I am very quickly seeing that I want a 4 or 8 yard formal kilt now but I am still wanting another plain black.

As far as the Tartans, I like the darker colors and I don't like red so if there is red in a tartan it would have to be very subtle for me.

The ones I have seen that I like the best so far are the Black Watch and the Ramsey dark blue, blue biening my favorite colour. The green in the black watch is appealing to me and of course the blue with it sets it off nicely.

There are several others I like but I do not remember the names and although I like them they would not be my choice to wear.

Thank you!

[Graham]

I am lusting after the Braveheart tartan!!! (Graham pants heavily with his tongue hanging out at the mere mention of the tartan).

which reminds me, the store concerned didn't answer my email, I wanted to buy some of the tartan and send it to Rocky (not told him yet so don't say anything)

[cajunscot]

District Tartans that I have an association with, and would like to wear:

Argyll
Buchan*
Aberdeen
Huntly District
Glen Orchy (the Cumming Tartan is very similar)
Clergy (I am a lay eucharistic minister & sub-deacon in the Episcopal Church)
Fife
Roxburgh
Galloway (Red)
Northumberland/Shepherd's Tartan (Wilkinson is a Border name from Northumberland)
Burns Check (World Burns Federation tartan)
Scottish Knights Templar
Ulster (Red)
Co. Dublin (one of my Scottish ancestors moved to Dublin & worked as a tailor)
Nova Scotia (for my wife)
Ontario (Ensign)
Louisiana (for my wife)

* My Cumming Hunting (Old Colours) kilt is also the Buchan District Tartan.

I also like:

Stewart Hunting
Caledonia
Culloden
Lady Borrodale's Gift (to Prince Charles Edward Stewart)
Tara

That's all I can think of for now, but there is more...

Recently I joined the Scottish District Families Assocation (SDFA)...it is for people with Scottish ancestors who were not part of one of the "big" clans and whose name is associated with a District Tartan --their web site is http://www.scottishdistricts.org, in case anyone is interested.

The Scottish Tartans Museum in Franklin, North Carolina also has a new web site, www.district-tartans.com, which is very good to peruse and anything that the STM is good in general -- their curator, Matt Newsome, knows his stuff!

Cheers,

T.

[Rufus]

Hey Todd, I think there might be one or two districts out there you might have forgotten...maybe.

I didn't even know half those districts existed! :o

[bubba]

That the tartans exist isn't the problem. Does anyone make them in quantity or are they only special order is the real problem.

[MDR-V300]

Originally Posted by Blu (Ontario)

Other awsome tartans are ...Alberta 1945, ...

I'm curious to know what non-clan tartans appeal to your tastes and why.

cheers,
blu

As an Albertan, I've got to cast my vote for this one.

Please?

[Freelander Sporrano]

From your list Blu I'd like the
Pride of Scotland

From my own list I'd like
Flower of Scotland
Irish National
Irish diasphora
Co Fermanagh ( Almost on order I have the swatches)
Maple leaf
Hunting Macloed

I could go on (And will) I like the Tartan of Celtic football club
And the Tartan Army tartans too

I'll stop ........

[cajunscot]

That the tartans exist isn't the problem. Does anyone make them in quantity or are they only special order is the real problem.

Amen, Bubba. There are hundreds of tartans (so lovely to see, as the song goes), but many are so obscure that special orders are necessary for a kilt to be made out of them -

I could go on (And will) I like the Tartan of Celtic football club And the Tartan Army tartans too

Freelander, I think you meant the HEARTS FC Tartan, no' the Celtic!

Rufus, I realised last night as I was going to bed that I forget five or six more...I'll send them to you in a PM so that way you'll REALLY think me a "tartanoholic"! 8)

Cheers,

T.