Modern tartans- historical tartans

[figheadair]

Matt Newsome has written an article on this subject. It has a fairly extensive list of tartans that are reputed to have existed before Culloden (with some discussion of how solid the evidence is), although it is by no means a definitive list.

Again, as Peter said, even tartans that can be proven to have existed before Culloden, and are still woven today, have changed in hue, and likely in proportion as well, over the years.

Matt's article is worth a read as it was inspired by a similar question to that in the OP of this thread however I would urge caution about antiquity and/or setting of a lot of the 'claimed' pre-culloden tartans mentioned as the source for the date was often one or another C19th publication.

Thanks for the help gentlemen, I really appreciate it.
Was there any rhyme or reason to the tartan setts that existed in the 18th century? Or were they just spun with the setts just being a matter of personal taste? If this is the case- then couldn't I just use most setts, provided that I found one with period-correct and rank-appropriate colors? Again, thanks for the help.

There was some reason for the various settings of old tartans but I cannot possibly deal with that here. The majority of pre-Culloden tartans that survive are not in general use today and so are not readily available. Some of those that are include:

Culloden
MacColl
MacDonald of Kingsburgh
MacDonald of the Isles (Red)
MacDougall
Murray of Tullibardine

However, in every case what the trade weave has little similarity with the original.