MacPherson Dress Kilt

[Silent Raven]

hey all so i am soon to be purchasing a kilt in the MacPherson Dress tartan for my upcoming wedding and my bride to be would like to see a picture of said tartan in actual kilt form. and since Google doesn't really come up with any great results i figured that some one on here must have one themselves or at least a picture of somebody in one. Ancient or Modern doesn't matter to much, she would just like to see not in a picture of the swatch or electronic image of it. as well would I for that matter.

[biblemonkey]

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...GunZ0QGn04GrCw

First photo halfway down the page. Hope this helps.

Hugh

[creagdhubh]

Greetings Cousin,

Judging by the tartan in your avatar, the Macpherson Red Modern, I take it you are a Macpherson or perhaps a member of one of our associated families. I am a staunch member of the Clan Macpherson International Association, and have held various leadership roles within the U.S. Branch. I am currently the U.S. Branch Clan Macpherson Store Manager.

I have seen the Macpherson Dress tartan, also known as the Macpherson of Cluny Dress tartan, many times, both here in the U.S. and abroad in our native heath of traditional Clan Macpherson lands in Badenoch, Inverness-shire, Scotland. Our Chief, Sir William Alan Macpherson of Cluny and Blairgowrie, TD wears only the Macpherson Dress tartan for evening attire. His kilt is rather old, and has been passed down for many, many years. I currently own the Macpherson Dress tartan in the Ancient colourings from Lochcarron (a fairly recent addition to my Highland Wardrobe). It is the heavyweight, Strome variant, pleated to the double magenta/plum coloured lines in the Regimental fashion. Most Macpherson men do wear a variant of the Macpherson dress tartan for evening attire, as it is one of the oldest setts the Macphersons have as far as their collection of tartans, with the Macpherson Hunting sett being next in line.

I have posted below several photos of myself, Cluny, and other Macpherson men at various clan related events both here in the U.S., Scotland, and England. I hope the photos give you a good idea of what the tartan actually looks like whilst being worn, also, there really isn't much difference between the 'ancient' and 'modern' variations of the Macpherson Dress tartan, since it is oviously predominantly a black and white dress tartan, with a wee bit of gold and magenta stripes. The 'ancient' variant does have a wee bit of a faded look to it compared to its 'modern' counterpart, but not by much. I purchased the Macpherson Dress Ancient tartan only because I wanted the kilt to be made of the Lochcarron Strome tartan for that trademark swing!

If you are not an official member of the Clan Macpherson Association, please check out the links below my signature and feel free to PM me for more information in regards to officially joining. We are a wonderful association with extended family all over the world, yet when we gather every August in sunny Badenoch, we are all 'cousins', with Cluny being, in his own words, 'first among equals.' Enjoy the photos cousin.

Sir William Alan Macpherson of Cluny and Blairgowrie, TD, 27th Hereditary Chief of the Clan Macpherson, my lovely wife, Stephanie, me, and the elegant, Lady Hilary Burnham of Perthshire.


Donald Macpherson performing "The Address to the Haggis", Burns' Night, London 2010.


Cluny's son and future Clan Macpherson Chief, James Brodie Macpherson, and family, Kingussie 2008.


Howard Parsons peforming "The Address to the Haggis", Clan Macpherson Annual General Meeting, Monterey, California 2008. I'm standing to his right holding the sword.


John Macpherson of Montrose with Scottish Wildcat (totem of the Clan Macpherson and other Clan Chattan clans and families) full-mask sporran.


Myself and Cluny in 2007.


Graham Macpherson of London, Burns' Night, London 2010.


Creag Dhubh Clann Chatain!

[Silent Raven]

thanks creagdhubh! this is exactly what i was looking for. I really like this shot of James Brodie, love the brilliance of the white in his kilt, is this the 'modern'?

As to being a MacPherson my self I am still doing family research to locate it, i have my family's heritage traced back to Scotland with a few different names (none of which are on your cousins list) but I'm still looking. My grandfather was told by his father that they were MacPhersons, and so it has been told down the lines to me, so i am diligently search for it. it just seem to be a bit further back than i thought it would be.

Cluny's son and future Clan Macpherson Chief, James Brodie Macpherson, and family, Kingussie 2008.

[kilted hillbilly]

Heres a coupla Macphersons-red and hunting-

[creagdhubh]

Heres a coupla Macphersons-red and hunting-

Yes, that's John Bierens of Wichita, Kansas in the home made blue bonnet - I have convened a Macpherson tent with him at various games - looks like you guys are at the Batesville, Arkansas games? He is the Central Region Commissioner for the Clan Macpherson Association, and does a fairly good job. He and his wife Norma are hosts for the 2011 Annual General Meeting (to take place in Wichita) in October - unfortunately my wife and I will not be attending this year. It appears that you are a member of the CMA? Wonderful! I have never formally met you yet, cousin. Thanks for the photo.

Creag Dhubh,

[MacMillans son]

thanks creagdhubh! this is exactly what i was looking for. I really like this shot of James Brodie, love the brilliance of the white in his kilt, is this the 'modern'?

As to being a MacPherson my self I am still doing family research to locate it, i have my family's heritage traced back to Scotland with a few different names (none of which are on your cousins list) but I'm still looking. My grandfather was told by his father that they were MacPhersons, and so it has been told down the lines to me, so i am diligently search for it. it just seem to be a bit further back than i thought it would be.

My understanding Silent Raven is that you may never find a blood relative named MacPherson, but your family may still have been of that clan at one time. I think of it more like a commitment than a blood connection. Your family may have been small in number, perhaps a single family unit or two, and were living in Macpherson clan country. They would naturally have aligned with that clan for all of the obvious reasons, though you may never find a record of their name on a sept list. I have a similar family name/clan connection issue on my paternal side. My paternal grandmother's maiden name was Kellie, and she was born and raised in Scotland. Although the Kellie name appears as a sept of a couple of other clans, our family's weak oral tradition is that they were members of Clan MacInnes. I don't have the energy, or desire, to dispute that, but at the same time feel more comfortable and confident with my maternal line which is, of course, MacMillan.

Good luck in your search, but if you have no reason to disbelieve what your grandparents have said, I am sure the Macphersons would be happy to have you as a member of their esteemed clan and confederation. Which reminds me, have you tried looking at the various sept lists of Clan Chatten? Perhaps there is a connection to Clan Macpherson through that confederation?

Again, best of luck to you!

[Silent Raven]

My understanding Silent Raven is that you may never find a blood relative named MacPherson, but your family may still have been of that clan at one time. I think of it more like a commitment than a blood connection. Your family may have been small in number, perhaps a single family unit or two, and were living in Macpherson clan country. They would naturally have aligned with that clan for all of the obvious reasons, though you may never find a record of their name on a sept list. I have a similar family name/clan connection issue on my paternal side. My paternal grandmother's maiden name was Kellie, and she was born and raised in Scotland. Although the Kellie name appears as a sept of a couple of other clans, our family's weak oral tradition is that they were members of Clan MacInnes. I don't have the energy, or desire, to dispute that, but at the same time feel more comfortable and confident with my maternal line which is, of course, MacMillan.

Good luck in your search, but if you have no reason to disbelieve what your grandparents have said, I am sure the Macphersons would be happy to have you as a member of their esteemed clan and confederation. Which reminds me, have you tried looking at the various sept lists of Clan Chatten? Perhaps there is a connection to Clan Macpherson through that confederation?

Again, best of luck to you!

Thanks MacMillan that's good advice and never thought that they might not literally be named MacPherson but would've just been in their region.

[Silent Raven]

Hey every one i Finally got my MacPherson Dress Kilt!
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...t-jones-69203/
follow the link tot he pictures!

[creagdhubh]

Silent Raven,

Please, call me Kyle. No worries - I am glad I could help. The Macpherson Dress tartan is a beautiful tartan, and like I mentioned before, is beloved by the clan. It is by far the most popular choice of tartan for formal occassions, far out-numbering the red, hunting, muted, and weathered setts by a sizeable margin. Jamie is wearing a heavyweight Macpherson Dress Modern woven by Dalgliesh, pleated to the sett - his is somewhat old (circa 1970's, hence the white having somewhat of a beige hue-from wear), yet not as old as his father's, which has been passed down for generations. Of course I know all of this, because Jamie and I have discussed Highland attire many times before at the gathering and rally. Jamie is a delightful person to speak with and there is no doubt he will be quite the Chief - though he does have enormous brogues to fill!!!!

Good luck with your ancestral research - hopefully the journey will lead you back to Badenoch!

Slainte,