The right to wear a clan tartan

[beloitpiper]

My grandfather is Long and my grandmother's maiden name was Holmes. Through genealogy, I found that my grandmother's side was, in fact, Home, making her part of Clan Home. My grandfather's side used to be Laing (changed during the famine to sound English to avoid persecution) and was under the House of Gordon.

I am proud to be a Gordon. Being a member, I represent the Clan and serve Alastair Granville Gordon, Earl of Aboyne. They offer genealogy, clan tent at games and whatnot, and other services.

...plus Castle Huntly is just cool.

[pbpersson]

Okay, so getting back to the tartan police....I already have a Stillwater Nightstalker on order. That is a "safe" tartan and the tartan police cannot get me on that one.

ASSUMING that by some miracle that would be beyond my wildest dreams I can wear kilts at work, if I buy the following tartans from Stillwater I will have a "fancy" kilt for every day of the week:

Black Stewart
Black Watch
Hunting McLeod
Irish National Tartan

So...when the tartan police come after me and give me a quiz to see if I am "authorized" to wear these tartans, what do I need to know about them? Where do I get some information and/or history?

Or should I be honest as some of you have suggested and say I bought them because they looked nice?


Phil

[Riverkilt]

Paternal or maternal, I like to honor my clans...every female ancestor had a father that gave her his name.

I have four Macdonald kilts, 2 generic, Macdonald Lord of the Isles, and Macdonald of Kingsburgh, my family's home area before the clearances. I trace my lineage back seven generations to Ludavic Macdonald of Uig, Skye.

I have a Cameron kilt to honor Catherine Cameron, the wife of John Macdonald Sr. They brought the family to Nova Scotia during the clearances.

I have a Scott kilt coming to honor my mother's maternal lineage and my Scott ancestors who fought in the war of 1812.

I have a two Gordon kilts to honor my Gordon ancestors and particularly the spunk of my great great grandmother who crossed the Bozeman Trail by wagon train in 1866.

I have a Fraser kilt to honor the rogue ancestor who left his family and returned to Scotland.

I just found out my Lewis line is a sept of MacLeod of Lewis...the Loud MacLeod tartan...I'm thinking about that one...

And yes, an Ireland's National for my Irish ancestors.

Most of my tartan kilts are tied to an ancestoral clan. Not so much to be part of that clan - which I probably could if I wasn't spending my money on kilts instead - but to honor them.

I am aware of that connection when I wear a clan tartan kilt. I think I stand a little taller and feel an appropriate pride - even a connection to those ancestors.

And a gratitude. Had they not survived the adversity of their times, I'd not be here at all.

Ron