Grant Hunting or MacLaren

[kiltedsawyer]

I was looking at the tartans offered by FC and noticed that the tartan they labeled as Grant Hunting looked very much like the MacLaren modern. I went to the Grant Clan Society of America home page and it listes their hunting tartan as being the Blackwatch. Then looking at the House of Tartan web site, it too showed a Grant Hunting that resembled the MacLaren with only a possible deviation in the small black stripes. Does anyone have any information on this? It surprises me that the two tartans would be so close as to be indistinguishable except upon such close examination.

[macwilkin]

The Clan Grant Society USA has a very interesting article on their web site about the clan's tartans, including the Grant Hunting, also known as the Black Watch (two words) or Government Sett:

http://www.clangrant-us.org/tartans.htm

Regards,

Todd

[M. A. C. Newsome]

The ordinary Grant Hunting tartan is indeed the same as the Black Watch. However, there is another Grant Hunting tartan that does resemble the MacLaren.

This latter tartan is first recorded in Wilsons of Bannockburn 1819 Key Pattern Book. It is very similar to another Wilsons design, called Regent, which was a popular fashion tartan in its hey day. It was not uncommon for Wilsons to produce several tartans along the same theme under different names.

Well, after George IV ascended to the throne in 1820, the Regency was over, and the name of the popular "Regent" tartan became outdated. So Wilsons gave it a different name -- MacLaren. According to the STA notes on this tartan, it was adopted by the MacLarens c. 1822.

So there ya go!
M

[Rampant Lion]

The Clan Grant Hunting tartan, that is recognized as such by the chief, is the Black Watch tartan.

[kiltedsawyer]

Thanks to all of you, (and yes Cajun Scot I know Black Watch is two words, just not a great typist and worse at proffreading.) Mac, I was hoping you might respond, thanks for the history lesson. It is interesting to me that FC would choose as one of their limited number of tartans, the Grant Hunting, when Clan Grant has chosen the Black Watch as their hunting tartan. Still a beautiful tartan I think, but of course, I'm a MacLaren.
Thanks again.
David

[Quaich Maker]

Thanks to all of you, (and yes Cajun Scot I know Black Watch is two words, just not a great typist and worse at proffreading.) Mac, I was hoping you might respond, thanks for the history lesson. It is interesting to me that FC would choose as one of their limited number of tartans, the Grant Hunting, when Clan Grant has chosen the Black Watch as their hunting tartan. Still a beautiful tartan I think, but of course, I'm a MacLaren.
Thanks again.
David

A we see it , the Govt. chose the Grant Hunting for the Black Watch