Is MacDonald of glencoe recognized?

[FossilHunter]

I can't speak for the chiefs, the various clan societies are only as good or interested as the people that man them. The fact is that this is a popular tartan that is available commercialy and is worn quite widely by MacDonalds, I've also seen at least one pipe band wearing it.

The simple answer is, if you like it wear it but bear in mind that there are other tartans associatd with Clan Donald that have a greater antiquity. Bottom line, there are no tartan police and no-one will get upset if you choose to wear this tartan.

Great! Thank you for all the information and your own perspective. With so many tartan choices, it can be hard to sort through them and find out what’s what, especially as an American who grew up outside of the tartan tradition.

[CollinMacD]

I have read this thread several times. I have emailed Peter several times, and always provided top notch information, of which I truly appreciate. So I though I would provide my own humble thoughts since I am a true MacDonald, and interested not only in the tartans, but the history is my passion. Thus I read, research, inquire, and learn, not a tartan expert, but a student of history.

Tartans have been and now are fashion statements, in many respects that is what a plaid was developed for, otherwise why not just a non-distinctive single color on woven wool. Plaids distinguished, from what I understand from my reading, regional plaids of local weavers, and if you lived in MacDonald regions, the plaid was woven and worn by MacDonalds, eventually being connectd to MacDonalds. Specific to MacDonald, they were able to obtain many red, green, and blue dyes because they were able to import living near major seaport and trade routes with the far east, while other regions landlocked depended more upon local insect, plant, tree dyes, thus darker browns, yellows, etc.

Think about it, high fashion is nothing new. Fashion was and is a person making a statement. Isn't that was tartan/plaid do? Sure certain tartans related directly to certain clans, but correct me if I am wrong, my reading has indicated to me, the relationship to clans and names are more of a recent connection that was brought around around the aearly 1800's when a registry was created. Certain tartans were already related to clans or Military Regiments, like the Blackwatch, but the registry was created to make somewhat of an official record of this, and to record family related plaids. No records were kept, and with a new popularity of tartans and Scottish dress being popularized in the early 1800's and especially with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, with Sir Francis Scott's novels being so popular, this all was the catalyst making tarts popular to this very day.

Now Doctor Organizations, Dentist, Government and Military organizations, even Outlander, has registered there own tartans. So when you think of it, what really is authentic related back to actual clan tartans before 1760? Even the painting that depict two MacDonald Boys playing and others in plaid are they really authentic or did the artist embellish to make it look better.

So as Peter states there is no tartan police, and we know some of the tartans relate back to clans, and others on the fringe, so if you like it and want to be different wear what you wish. That is my take. For me personally, I have the Clanranald Modern Dress, as my dress, but I have other MacDonald's such as Clanranald Ancient that I like and wear a lot. Currently I am having MacDonald of the Isles, modern red made into a nice 16 ounce handmade kilt. In the near future, hopefully, I intend to purchase material from Peter on a tartan going back to my actual ancestors, that Peter has helped me understand and obtain. I just want to represent my ancestor roots, as nobody in my ancestor lines was famous, or notable in history. I am not related to a king, statesman or military leader, or even famous movie star named MacDonald. I am proud of my MacDonald heritage based on the fact they were hard working, farmers, miners, and laborers, who remained Catholic, never forgot their Highland Roots, pioneer who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1790, who cleared the land and farmed up through my Grandfather. I have cause to be proud of them and thus my priority was to were my family tartan, of Clanranald. However I also have the US Coast Guard Tartan, as I served, and will wear the Lord of the Isle to represent all the MacDonalds. My take is just wear your tartan you choose proudly and with distinction.

So, my own take on this is if you can relate back to a very specific clan, than great you got a specific tartan if you choose, if not like Glencoe, but your ancestors are part of the clan and its not "sanctioned" get it and enjoy it if you like it. Again no tartan police, and plaid regardless is a form of fashion.

[figheadair]

Plaids distinguished, from what I understand from my reading, regional plaids of local weavers, and if you lived in MacDonald regions, the plaid was woven and worn by MacDonalds, eventually being connectd to MacDonalds.

Whilst the idea of regional styles is supported by some surviving specimens that is not to say that all tartans or weavers from an area would have followed a particular syle or design exclusivley. Many of these older specimens disappeared until rediscovered by recent research and so were not the basis for the current clan tartan.

Specific to MacDonald, they were able to obtain many red, green, and blue dyes because they were able to import living near major seaport and trade routes with the far east, while other regions landlocked depended more upon local insect, plant, tree dyes, thus darker browns, yellows, etc.

The use of imported red and blue dyes (there was no traditional green dye) was not restricted to the coast as evidenced by survivng specimens from the central Highlands. The choice of dyestuff and therefore colours for tartan was much more a reflection of an individual's wealth, or lack there of. Red based tartans in particular were a sign of affluence and so would have been the preserve of the better off in the same way that bespoke clothing is today.

[CollinMacD]

Whilst the idea of regional styles is supported by some surviving specimens that is not to say that all tartans or weavers from an area would have followed a particular syle or design exclusivley. Many of these older specimens disappeared until rediscovered by recent research and so were not the basis for the current clan tartan.



The use of imported red and blue dyes (there was no traditional green dye) was not restricted to the coast as evidenced by survivng specimens from the central Highlands. The choice of dyestuff and therefore colours for tartan was much more a reflection of an individual's wealth, or lack there of. Red based tartans in particular were a sign of affluence and so would have been the preserve of the better off in the same way that bespoke clothing is today.

Totally agree Peter, thanks.....