Looks like Blackwatch?

[Mike S]

As far as I know only the Campbells, Munros and Grants use the Black Watch as a clan tartan. The Black Watch is used as the Sutherland district tartan (the tartan for the region of Sutherland), but the Sutherland clan tartan is a different design.

Technically you are indeed correct. However "unorthodox", Sutherland clansmen/women are not loathe to wear the Black Watch as a clan tartan (besides the usual red and white overstriped clan tartan, as in my avatar), as well as the pre amalgamation A&S Highlanders lighter shade Sutherland tartan. Regarding the former Tartan, the chicken or the egg conundrum comes into play with the famous MacIan "Sutherland Clan" print.

We Sutherlands tend to view Sutherland County and the 93rd Reg. as our own in more than namesake, don't you know.

[Oldhiker]

I like to think that the Black Watch and those other clans copied from the Lamont tartan


Matt tends to disagree..... OK so he is one the experts on here but it is my fantasy


Facts may prove me wrong, you can always tell a Scot but you can't tell him much. Dont confuse me with the facts

[macwilkin]

I like to think that the Black Watch and those other clans copied from the Lamont tartan


Matt tends to disagree..... OK so he is one the experts on here but it is my fantasy


Facts may prove me wrong, you can always tell a Scot but you can't tell him much. Dont confuse me with the facts

Sorry...but Matt is correct. The clan tartans owe much to the regimental tartans; if you don't believe me, take a look at where the Camerons, Gordons and Mackenzies all got their tartans. :mrgreen:

T.

[Oldhiker]

yes Matt is correct. just trying to rewrite history.

[Cawdorian]

I like to think that the Black Watch and those other clans copied from the Lamont tartan

I'm going to have to agree with George, after all the Lamonts are one of the oldest documented clans. So they must have been the first.

[Cawdorian]

Am I missing something somewhere is this thread? It is my understanding that the 93rd Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders wore the tartan that is also known as the Campbell of Cawdor/District of Argyll tartan.

Someone correct me if I am wrong.

If I got the facts confused you will have to forgive me as this is my 999th post and I am about to become elderly.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Technically you are indeed correct. However "unorthodox", Sutherland clansmen/women are not loathe to wear the Black Watch as a clan tartan (besides the usual red and white overstriped clan tartan, as in my avatar), as well as the pre amalgamation A&S Highlanders lighter shade Sutherland tartan. Regarding the former Tartan, the chicken or the egg conundrum comes into play with the famous MacIan "Sutherland Clan" print.

We Sutherlands tend to view Sutherland County and the 93rd Reg. as our own in more than namesake, don't you know.

Certainly a lot of Sutherlands wear the Black watch tartan. Because it is the Sutherland district tartan. And the Sutherland family name came from the Sutherland district. So any Sutherland should feel free to wear the Black Watch, because it is also the Sutherland district tartan.

But that does not make it a "clan tartan" for the Sutherlands. The tartan is meant to represent the place named Sutherland. There is a completely different tartan meant to represent the clan named Sutherland.

It gets a bit confusing because in this case the clan and the place have the same name. But here's another example. The MacLeans are from the Isle of Mull. A MacLean may choose to wear the MacLean tartan, or the Mull tartan. One would represent the clan. The other would represent the place the clan is from. He is wearing them both because of his clan heritage. But one is a clan tartan, the other a district tartan. It all boils down to what the tartan is meant to represent.

In this case the Sutherland district tartan (aka Black Watch) is meant to represent the geographical place.

And, of course, the connection between the Sutherland district and this tartan is due to the fact that it was worn by the Argyll & Sutherland regiment. Prior to 1984 they wore the tartan in slightly lighter shades than the Black Watch, so one could easily distinguish between a solider of the A&S and the Black Watch from the darkness of his kilt. After 1984 the two regiments went to the same shade, but the kilts were pleated differently (A7S to the green, BW to the blue). Today, of course, with the amalgamation of all the regiments, this is a non-issue.