Tartans

A excerpt from a correspondence with Gordon about Tartans

According to my instant reference on tartans, Duncans are entitled to wear the tartan of the Robertson clan - masons and other surnames having no Tartan of their own can choose any they wish) and there may be one for Duncan, though this is not positively identified.

But don't fall for all that victorian tourist BULL. Tartan in it's earliest forms did allow some colours to be identified with certain clans, because the plants which provided dyes grew in their lands and occured regionally in many cases, but the originals were very dull, generally browns and yellows, more like the rather realistic reproductions used in Braveheart.

Also the idea of the plaid was that it was a single long piece of wide cloth which could be used as a sort of wrap around skirt, thrown over the shoulder and fastened with a single brooch or clasp. This doubled as a blanket when on the move, and could easily be discarded when running into a fight.

This with the pipes is part of the reason highlanders were so feared in battle, it's a bit worrying when a big heavy naked brute, or hundreds of them start running at you shouting all sorts of gaelic profanity, and all to the unfamiliar and frightening sound of the pipes.

Many germans apparently ran just from the noise of the pipes during WW2 (large pinch of salt required for this paternal tale), fearing some unfamiliar and dangerous new weapon. 3 or 4 yards of plaid should do you though I'm no expert. Beware - the real stuff was more like hessian than todays nice soft wool.

The material came off the loom about twelve or fourteen ells long some say it was then halved and stitched to form six ells of double width material (an ell in Scotland was just over a yard).

Or a double weave on the loom itself was also used.

When it was worn it was kilted (bunched might be a good description) to provide a good thickness of material around the vital organs.

The Great Kilt as worn today is usually around four to six yards of broadcloth and between 56 to 60 inches wide.