District Tartans?

[JRB]

To Jock, So where were the Ross Clan from? All this talk of the Highlands and Islands and Lowlanders? I know that Clan MacDonald were from the Isles, So any ideas of Clan Ross? Anyone? Also where is Dumfrieshire(sp) cause it had been said that the Andrews were in the highlands with Ross clan but then moved their?????????

Ross is just west of Moray Firth

[Colonel MacNeal]

Please allow me to steer this back to the original topic. Is it OK to wear a tartan, typically known as a clan tartan, instead as a district tartan. In the case of Cunningham - the district held the name before the clan did, and there's no record of the original wear of the tartan.

[macwilkin]

Please allow me to steer this back to the original topic. Is it OK to wear a tartan, typically known as a clan tartan, instead as a district tartan. In the case of Cunningham - the district held the name before the clan did, and there's no record of the original wear of the tartan.

Colonel: did you see the article from the Lordship & Barony of Kilmarnock's web site I posted?

T.

[###KILTEDKIWI###]

Please allow me to steer this back to the original topic. Is it OK to wear a tartan, typically known as a clan tartan, instead as a district tartan. In the case of Cunningham - the district held the name before the clan did, and there's no record of the original wear of the tartan.

Another 2 cents worth, sorry we dont have those anyomre, 5 cents.

As the Cunningham tartan is associated more with the family, than the district (I can imagine a lot of Cunninghams don't know that there was / is a district with that name), it maybe safer to get the Ayrshire district tartan (which is quite neat), but then again if you have the link, and don't mind explaining it, why not get the Cunningham.

Also the more that wear it, the more it will become recognised!!

Phil C

[Colonel MacNeal]

Colonel: did you see the article from the Lordship & Barony of Kilmarnock's web site I posted?

T.

Hi Todd,

Yes, I read the article, but I didn't think it had anything definite to say about the Cunningham tartan. It said the Ayrshire tartan was available for anyone with ties, but I'm not particularly fond of that tartan.

I remember when the Barony of Kilmarnock was up for sale a few years ago. Congrats to the new Baron.

Cheers, ColMac

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Some clan tartans are also worn as district tartans (or have been in the past). For example, the Montgomery clan tartan is also the Elgin district tartan. The Drummond of Perth clan tartan is also the Perthshire district tartan.

But, just because a clan and a district share the same name, does not mean that a tartan for one is ipso facto a tartan for the other.

In my opinion, the Cunningham clan tartan is worn to represent the clan of the name, not the place of the name. So when you wear it, you are proclaiming, "I belong to the Cunningham clan," not, "I come from the Cunningham region." Same thing with the Ross tartan -- it's meant to represent the clan, not the place.

This can be seen in several instances when a clan/family and a district of the same name have distinct tartans. For example, the Sutherland clan tartan is quite different from the Sutherland district tartan. They represent two different things; one the family, the other the place. There is a different tartan for the Dunbar clan and the Dunbar district. It is possible to be from Dunbar without being affiliated with the family.

There are instances of district tartans later being adopted by families of the name. But this is usually due to the fact that the family name originated in the district, and in the absence of a preexisting family tartan, the district tartan is used. For example, the Paisely tartan is worn by Paiselys and allied families. However, the tartan was and is a district tartan for the place named Paisely. It was later adopted by the family.

Many named Galloway wear the Galloway distrcit tartan because they bear the name (even though the name is recognized as a sept of the MacFarlane clan and they certainly would be justified in wearing the MacFarlane tartan). But the district tartan is often worn by the family because that is the region that gave rise to the surname. The tartan itself remains a district tartan, however, and represents the place first and foremost.

Since the Cunningham tartan is a clan tartan, and intended to represent the clan and be worn by those with affiliations to the clan; and since there is another appropriate district tartan for the region (Ayrshire), I don't think I would advocate wearing the Cunningham clan tartan as a district tartan.

[macwilkin]

Hi Todd,

Yes, I read the article, but I didn't think it had anything definite to say about the Cunningham tartan. It said the Ayrshire tartan was available for anyone with ties, but I'm not particularly fond of that tartan.

I remember when the Barony of Kilmarnock was up for sale a few years ago. Congrats to the new Baron.

Cheers, ColMac

The article is pretty clear that the Ayrshire tartan is appropriate for someone with connections to the Cunningham district to wear, just as Matt has stated in post above.

regards,

Todd

[Dall_Piobaire]

When was the Barony of Kilmarnock ever up for sale? To my knowledge it has been a long held title by the recently deceased Cheif of Clan Boyd, Alastair Ivor Gilbert Boyd. 7th Baron Kilmarnock. At one point the Boyd name was hidden in the Hay clan, but as far as I know the title has always been held by a Boyd. The lands of Kilmarnock, and Kilmarnock Castle were granted to the Boyds by the Bruce for service in battle, and were forfieted only once after Cullodon, but were reinstated after a bit. The new Laird is Robin Boyd. Alastair's brother.