MacDonald of Clanranald (1914)

[Nathan]

I'm looking to find out more about the MacDonald of Clanranald (1914) tartan. It seems to be the tartan of choice for the Captain and Chief of Clanranald as well as Clanranald the younger. It is not, however, the tartan that is most widely worn, sold or associated with the clan. Any information about when the chiefs started wearing this version would be helpful. Everything I know about the tartan is gleaned from this page:

http://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tar....aspx?ref=2357

Here is a photo of Clanranald wearing tartan trews in an ancient or muted colour way of the standard Clanranald tartan, next to Clanranald the younger (I believe) who is wearing the 1914 tartan. I have never seen a photo of Clanranald wearing a kilt in any tartan other than the 1914 and indeed he was wearing this same kilt when I carried his colours for him in Ottawa.



Here's a photo of Clanranald in the 1914 tartan with the other MacDonald Chiefs (second from the right).



Here's a photo of him wearing both the Clanranald modern on his waistcoat and the Clanranald 1914 on his kilt.



Any additional information on this tartan, it's history with the clan or any other Clanranald sartorial traditions would be most welcome!

[SeumasA]

I don't know anything about it, but it looks good in that picture.

[Domehead]

Hello Nathan,

The only post-1906 reference I have is James D. Scarlett, Tartan: The Highland Textile (Shepheard-Walwyn Publishers, Ltd., 1990) pg.116, 119

"J.G. Mackay (The Romantic Story of the Highland Garb and the Tartan) claims antiquity for the red CLANRANALD tartan (220) which certainly has the quality of simplicity: K8 G4 R4 G4 R32 G4 R4 G4 R4 K6"

This adds very little to the Scottish Register of Tartans entry, save for the count. However, considering both a P.E. MacDonald & Cockburn sample are cited, I'm sure he will be on here soon.

Domehead

[figheadair]

The STR entry, which in itself is based on a combination of STA and TECA information, is pretty useless. Let's have a look at the claims.

From D.C. Dalgliesh. So, D.C. Dalgliesh has woven this, probably for Clanranald himself. So what?

Also appears in Peter MacDonald swatch files. I've woven it (as a sample for study). So what?

From MacKay's 1914 'The Romantic Story of Highland Garb'. This is the first and only reference to the tartan. I cannot recall what MacKay says about the tartan. I think that there was a reference to it being used, perhaps rewoven, for a Clanranald wedding.

Also named MacDonnell of Clan Ranald Ancient and said to be from Cockburn Collection 1815. It is not one of the samples in the Cockburn Collection. There is a sample of MacDonald of Sleat (no K line) in Cockburn which is named Lord MacDonald.

Note on modern sample also adds 'John MacDonald, High Commissioner Clan Donald' suggesting that either the sample or the information was from him. I'm not sure that this adds anything.

So, irrespective of what MacKay says of the tartan, it cannot be dated by evidence before his 1914 publication. The general similarity with the Sleat and Lord of the Isles Red tartans raises the possibility that MacKay, or someone he used as a source, mis-transcribed one of these setts and for some reason associated it with the Clanranald.

[figheadair]

Nathan,

Do you know where the first of the pictures you posted was taken? I'd have expected that it would be on the west coast somewhere but the inclusion of Donald MacLaren of MacLaren is at odds with this.

As an aside, I really not keen of the shades of young Clanranald's kilt which look like Dalgliesh's old colours. As with most tartans, IMHO, this looks so much better in Wilsons' shades.

[Domehead]

Good Morning All,

Thanks Mr. MacDonald.
XMTS is awesome

Domehead

[Nathan]

Nathan,

Do you know where the first of the pictures you posted was taken? I'd have expected that it would be on the west coast somewhere but the inclusion of Donald MacLaren of MacLaren is at odds with this.

As an aside, I really not keen of the shades of young Clanranald's kilt which look like Dalgliesh's old colours. As with most tartans, IMHO, this looks so much better in Wilsons' shades.

First - Thanks for the information!
Your comments above of its relatively young heritage of this tartan make it all the more curious that it is worn by Clanranald. I wonder if his father also wore it and so on. Then again, perhaps they would have worn Boisdale...

The photo of Clanranald in the trews and Clanranald the younger was taken at the Arisaig Highland Games I believe. I got it from their website.

The photo of Clanranald with the Highland Dancers was taken at Auckland, New Zealand - and I'm not sure where the classic photo of the MacDonald Chiefs (save Keppoch) was taken.

Do I recall correctly you mentioning in another thread that Clanranald tries to reserve this tartan for his own personal use? When I asked him about the tartan he was wearing he deflected the question and said, "Sleat, I think".

Do you know when he made this request or proclamation?

[figheadair]

First - Thanks for the information!
Your comments above of its relatively young heritage of this tartan make it all the more curious that it is worn by Clanranald. I wonder if his father also wore it and so on. Then again, perhaps they would have worn Boisdale...

That I doubt. The Boisdale is a Wilsons' sett and is amongst those included in the Cockburn Collection but I think it was possibly one of their 'fancies' and I have never found a reference to the family wearing it.

Do I recall correctly you mentioning in another thread that Clanranald tries to reserve this tartan for his own personal use? When I asked him about the tartan he was wearing he deflected the question and said, "Sleat, I think".

Do you know when he made this request or proclamation?

You do. It was something I heard from my father in the the 1970s. He knew Clanranald and as far as I know got it directly from him but he may have softened his view over the years.

[Nathan]

I found the MacKay book on Electric Scotland, here. Here's what MacKay said about the tartan that he calls Clanranald full dress.

"For the pattern, which we have no hesitation in giving as the Clan Ranald full-dress, we are indebted to Mr. Allan R. MacDonald of Water- nish, Skye. It is taken from a plaid spun and dyed by an ancestress of Mr. MacDonald's, a daughter of Lachlan MacKinnon of Corry, the entertainer of Dr. Johnson and Pennant, and worn by her husband, Allan MacDonald of Baile-Fhionnlaigh, Benbecula, a cadet of the Clan Ranald family, as a captain in the Clan regiment of the 45, and who was severely wounded at Culloden, whose portrait, dressed in the tartan, is shown on page 166. The plaid is a beautiful specimen of the old Highland hard tartan, and m.ade of the wool of the aboriginal Highland sheep—the colours are still quite fresh and bright. According to John MacCodrum, the bard, c. 1715, the colours of the Clan Ranald tartan were crimson with carnation in the waft."

He also has a plate of Sleat with a different backstory and one of a very similar tartan to this called Glengarry. He calls the similar tartans we know as Clan Donald, Clanranald and Glengarry hunting variants.

Here is the portrait he references. I'm not sure how the tartan is question is demonstrated here.



Edit: How reliable a source is MacKay?

[Nathan]

That I doubt. The Boisdale is a Wilsons' sett and is amongst those included in the Cockburn Collection but I think it was possibly one of their 'fancies' and I have never found a reference to the family wearing it.

Fair enough. I was speculating based on the fact that the Clanranald direct line died out and was passed over to the Boisdale cadet line.