Quote Originally Posted by LukeMacGillie
Actually there is correspondence from the period, Ive seen it quoted, but have not been able to get my hands on actual copies. My understanding is that there was one particular weaver that supplied the govt sett. This weaver was not able to supply tartan when the 78th was raised in 1757.

Another interesting tidbit. From 1745 to 1787 General,Lord John Murray was the Col of the Black Watch. In 1751 Morier painted a grenadier of the regiment wearing a belted plaid with a red overstripe. There is some evidence that both Bns of the regiment wore this red overstrip in their little kilts but only the Grenadier companies in the great kilt. Is not the current Murray tartan BW with a red overstripe?
From T.F. Mills's "Regiments of the British Army" page:

"Murray of Atholl", or "green Murray" probably originated ca. 1777 as the government sett differenced with two red overstripes for the 77th Highlanders (Lord Murray's Atholl Highlanders). Also known as District of Atholl tartan. This was a variation on the single red overstripe introduced by Lord John Murray in 1746 for grenadiers of 43rd Highlanders when he was Colonel of the regiment.

-- http://www.regiments.org/tradition/tartans/murray-a.htm
Cheers,

Todd