Why don't more people wear old non-clan tartans?

[figheadair]

Jock,

Peter MacDonald has listed 100 of the original tartans in his book, "The 1819 Key Pattern Book." He also weaves short run tartan using the old colors.

http://www.scottishtartans.co.uk/index.htm

Thanks for the recommendation.

The 1819 KPB is of course a bit late for this thread as it deals with the early pattern of Messrs Wilsons of Bannockburn.

It's interesting watching this thread develop and the reasons appear to be much as I thought. There have been a number of references to exisiting publications and websites which are fine so far as they go but in every case they rely on earlier reference works many of which are faulty.

It's the dusty museums, private houses and collections that hold the key. In more than 30 years of research I've only scratched the surface of what survives but it's amaing how often the specimens have been misrecorded. The Culloden tartan is a prime example. As these pieces are in essance our historic tartan gene pool we, the nation, ought to be preserving them in a way that they are available to future generations. Unfortunately this isn't happening and it always seems to be left to charities and individuals to try and preserve what should be a national asset. But I digress.

I suppose the bottom line is if the information is not available then people cannot make a choice. A little winter project perhaps.