What tartan is this?

[Wemedge]

My family has this child's kilt that was brought over from Scotland in the early 1960s. My family is Clan Urquhart, but this doesn't look like any of the Urquhart tartan variations I've seen. It's closest to the broad red ancient variant, but not quite. Is anyone able to identify it? Thanks!

IMG_0887.jpg

[Steve Ashton]

I believe this is Green Morrison, AKA Morrison Hunting, or Morrison Society, in the ancient colorway.

On the Scottish Register of Tartan is this note -

In 1597 up to 60 Morrison families fled the Outer Hebrides and resettled on the mainland in north west Sutherland - MacKay country. The first record of this ‘green Morrison’ appears in the 1880 Clans Originaux sample book and its similarity to the Mackay tartan can be explained by the Morrisons’ new location. It was also included as Morrison in the 1906 W & A K Johnston "Tartans of the Clans & Septs of Scotland". Reports that it was designed in 1909 by a J G MacKay are therefore in error. After the present red Morrison (STA 998) was rediscovered/adopted as the clan tartan, this original was renamed Morrison Society with alternative names of Hunting Morrison or Green Morrison.



For comparison, here is Urquhart.

[figheadair]

For comparison, here is Urquhart.

Steve,

The graphic on the SRT site is wrong. It should reflect the Wilsons' sett as it appeared in the Cockburn Collection of 1810.
1086urquhart_1810_clan_.gif

The sett most often seen is that from the Vestiarium.
0623urquhart_1842_clan_.gif

[Wemedge]

Steve and figheadair, thank you.

Shortly after posting we stumbled over the Morrison ancient sett and thought, "hold up a second, we see what's going on." The woman who brought this kilt back from Scotland in the '60s (my great-grandmother) was an Urquhart; she married a Gilmour, which is the family name that's stuck around since. As a sept of the Morrisons, it makes sense that she brought back a Morrison kilt, though for years my father assumed it was the Urquhart tartan until we pulled it out of storage today.

It's all very interesting. Thanks again!

[Steve Ashton]

Peter,

I pulled out my fabric swatch books and this is what is listed under Morrison Green ancient colorway.



And Urquhart, also ancient colorway.

[Wemedge]

And Urquhart, also ancient colorway.

Steve, that looks like what I've seen before as the Urquhart ancient with broad red. Does your swatch book show another another colorway for Urquhart with a white line?

[OC Richard]

Oh those sample books are so pristine and new!

I worked at a Highland outfitter and our sample books got endlessly fingered through both in the shop and out at Highland Games. They got pretty ratty after a few years.

[Wemedge]

Post edited -- duplicated post because of some internet trouble. Apologies!