Tartan Help - Probably way to much info, but now I gotta zero in on this option

[RodF]

Hello folks,

So the acquisition of a kilt has been on my "to do list" for about 25 years...when I turned 50, the "to do list" got a bit more of "must do" marks added and this was one of those. The visit with Steve at Freedom Kilts just had this underlined and stared for the year or so ahead. Then this past weekend made the deposit for a kilt - so now I am working on this item.

Yet, the biggest struggle for me has been focusing in on a tartan. I had made my daughter a box kilt when she was five using Robertson - see below. It's a great tartan.

Here is a collection of info and I would be intrigued by folks suggestions based upon this.

1. Lowland Scots - as you will see in a moment, the ancestors are all from the lowlands - Lanark and Fife. So there is that.

2. Family history - my paternal great grandparents immigrated from Scotland and my paternal grandmother was first gen American who danced in the 1930s in highland games. Sadly I don't know what she wore nor are there any other pictures.
Main Surnames - Reid of Dunbarton, briefly, but mainly Lanark
- Scott of Fife (list of where is way below for those curious)

http://www.olypen.com/tinkers/Geneal...ie%20Scott.htm - part of the history

3. Could simply cheat - Reid - Sept of Robertson -- go with that. It's a great tartan and one that is familiar. But I tend to pick blues and greens. That said, I know a lot about this tartan and interestingly enough the Clan Donnachaidh has been doing a lot of interesting DNA studies that show strong links to the Reids in the Lanark area mine are from

4. Interests and such - there are tartans for most of these - some just are not easily obtainable
A. USAF vet
B. Washington State Native and University of Washington grad
C. Department of Columbia Commander for the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, also researcher of the 74th PA - First German Regiment
D. Lawyer
E. Teach history as an adjunct lecturer; genealogy lecturer on colonial research; military ancestry; 28 yrs of German genealogy
F. My community's team colors - which my kids have all attended - actually uses the colors in the Xmarksthescot tartan, interestingly enough.
G. Love the Declaration of Arbroath tartan - but it is not readily available in yardage, sad to say -
https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/ta...ails?ref=11182

So, there are some various choices and just curious what others have used as considerations in narrowing down for their FIRST kilt?

Oh, here are the family locations with surnames in Fife. The Reid lines were in Lanark and I need to do those in the same way.


Fife Locations

Auchterderran - Scott and Arott

Kinglassie - Moyes, Arnott

Cowdenbeath - scott

Cuspar - Ogilive

Cardened Colliery, Denend Colliery, Auchterderran==>Anna Mackie Scott and sibliings

Kettle-Moyes

Ceres-Moyes

Dysart - Arnott

Largo - Rodger

[Mike S]

Pick the tartan that you favor the most. Trust me, once you get your first kilt many other acquisitions will follow. You'll find a rational to amass most, if not all, of those on your bucket list.

[bejt61]

RodF, I think you may be putting yourself into a mental half-Nelson on this. By the way, I live in a universe of self-induced mental half-Nelsons. Anyway, when it comes to the tartan, just pick the one you like or the one that would mean the most to you. I know it sounds too easy or over simplified, but I think that may be the best way to go. Filter out the noise and just have fun with it.

As a side note, I am going through my own particular heck in filtering to get to four tartans from about thirty. I went with three so-called universals and one named that is significant to my family name's history. Part of my criteria was based on attaining variation of color across the entire collection I will end up with (6). I already have a Taylor woolly and the unofficial Air Force in synthetic.

[RodF]

RodF, I think you may be putting yourself into a mental half-Nelson on this. By the way, I live in a universe of self-induced mental half-Nelsons. Anyway, when it comes to the tartan, just pick the one you like or the one that would mean the most to you. I know it sounds too easy or over simplified, but I think that may be the best way to go. Filter out the noise and just have fun with it.

As a side note, I am going through my own particular heck in filtering to get to four tartans from about thirty. I went with three so-called universals and one named that is significant to my family name's history. Part of my criteria was based on attaining variation of color across the entire collection I will end up with (6). I already have a Taylor woolly and the unofficial Air Force in synthetic.

LOL, oh my you did see the issue about being an attorney right!

Nice to meet another USAF vet here too!

[bejt61]

RodF, 25 years, 10 months, and 1 Week; retired in 2006. It took me about 25 years to get my first kilt - last year.

[Mike S]

I guess the USAF dominates this thread. My father was a career full bird Colonel and Command Pilot in S.A.C.

[Arnot]

Fife Locations

Auchterderran - Scott and Arott

Kinglassie - Moyes, Arnott

Cowdenbeath - scott

Cuspar - Ogilive

Cardened Colliery, Denend Colliery, Auchterderran==>Anna Mackie Scott and sibliings

Kettle-Moyes

Ceres-Moyes

Dysart - Arnott

Largo - Rodger

Interesting seeing the Arnotts listed. I have a few branches of them in my tree as well as my direct line. There is a tartan registered for us, but only last year. Not too keen on it myself.

There is more than one Robertson tartan as well.

http://www.tartansauthority.com/tart...-htg-1816-clan

[Manu]

My vote goes to the USAF tartan! You seem to be having a hard time discerning connections to other tartans, but the USAF connection is about as direct as they come. My first tank is going to be in the USMC Dress Blue (as soon as the fabric makes its way from across the pond). But then again, I have no Scottish connections whatsoever, so I lean hard on military service connection when choosing a tartan.

[Jock Scot]

Just a thought. Many/most in Scotland can probably find at least a dozen different Clan and family names that have tartans, in our recent family"s history never mind going back umpteen generations. So we could possibly wear many different tartans---------but we generally don't, we often choose just the one, our father's usually.There is much to commend this practice, not least from the expense point of view!

[Geoff Withnell]

Just a thought. Many/most in Scotland can probably find at least a dozen different Clan and family names that have tartans, in our recent family"s history never mind going back umpteen generations. So we could possibly wear many different tartans---------but we generally don't, we often choose just the one.There is much to commend this practice, not least from the expense point of view!

I would certainly support the tartan you get should be one you have a strong connection with, if at all possible. You will be asked about it, in this part of the world, and it is a good feeling to understand it well.