what is this??

**KiltedMariner** · 19th February 12, 08:34 PM

Thank you for helping to ID the tartan (MacKenzie?). I though THAT would be the hard part. The color discrepancy COULD be due to the item's probable advanced age.

Any idea what this thing is?? Is it a piper's full plaid?

**xman** · 19th February 12, 08:50 PM

Piper's Plaids are just this length so I would think so. Any pipers in the family history?

**KiltedMariner** · 19th February 12, 09:02 PM

Originally Posted by xman

Piper's Plaids are just this length so I would think so. Any pipers in the family history?

No pipers, but there IS a great old picture of a bunch of my relatives in some very formal dress. I'll have to see if this item matches.

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 20th February 12, 05:17 AM

It is the MacKenzie tartan, aka Seaforth. (BTW, there is no such tartan called "MacKenzie Hunting Green." It's simply the MacKenzie tartan).

I would agree that this was worn as a plaid of some sort. It is/was not uncommon for those to have a purled fringe at the ends, and the dimensions are about right.

**OC Richard** · 20th February 12, 05:30 AM

Note that it's not uncommon for the same tartan to appear with and without black edging to the light lines- this variance doesn't have any meaning, and is added to make the light lines stand out more.

Yes that I the MacKenzie Seaforth tartan, of which is said in The Setts of the Scottish Tartans

The regimental tartan of the Seaforth Highlanders, who were raised in 1778 by MacKenzie, Earl of Seaforth, has the same scheme as the Athol Murray, the difference being that the outer of the three red stripes of the latter are, in the MacKenzie, white. What tartan the MacKenzies may have worn prior ot 1778 we do not know; very possibly a red one.

**Tony** · 20th February 12, 06:14 AM

Originally Posted by M. A. C. Newsome

(BTW, there is no such tartan called "MacKenzie Hunting Green." It's simply the MacKenzie tartan).

Colour me a bright shade of confused.....
http://www.tartansauthority.com/tart...nzie-htg-green

**Ryan Ross** · 20th February 12, 07:35 AM

Originally Posted by Tony

Colour me a bright shade of confused.....
http://www.tartansauthority.com/tart...nzie-htg-green

Yeah, when you read the notes, it all makes sense... regardless of how ridiculous that sense is. People are going nutsO with the tartan, nowdays.

**PEEDYC** · 20th February 12, 08:12 AM

With a fringe at both ends I thought it could be a ladies shawl but then 27" is not really wide enough so I concur - a plaid.

**KiltedMariner** · 20th February 12, 08:47 AM

Greetings,

Thanks to all for your sleuthing prowess. Let's say it is a piper's plaid, MacKenzie tartan. Since there may or may not be pipers or soldiers (and/or MacKenzies!) in my lineage, WHY does my family have this? What purpose would it have served 100 years ago? AND....what can I do with it now??

Thank you,
Richard

**Tobus** · 20th February 12, 06:17 AM

Originally Posted by M. A. C. Newsome

I would agree that this was worn as a plaid of some sort. It is/was not uncommon for those to have a purled fringe at the ends, and the dimensions are about right.

I agree, it's a plaid. With the fringed end, it really can't be anything else. In modern terms, we think "piper's plaid", but if it's roughly 100 years old, it came from a time where plaids were not just relegated to pipers. So there needn't be a piper in the family for this to have been part of someone's Highland dress paraphernalia.