Significance of white in a tartan

[Troglodyte]

That's a new one for me too which I'll add to the 'Tartan Myths' mix. It's a bit like the one that claims that a black stripe in the MacDonald of the Isles tartan, and probably others too, was in remembrance of those that died at the Battle of Harlaw in 1411.

Someone obviously started these myths but it's usually impossible to find the source. By contrast, I think I've managed to trace the source of the 'tartan was banned after Culloden/as part of Proscription' myth to an Annex in a book published in 1960.

It's easily done.

I was once standing shivering on a cold railway station, and turned to my sister and said 'Stations have to be the coldest places known to man. Arctic explorers regularly hang around on empty platforms, to acclimatise for their polar expeditions...'

I later learnt she had taken me at my word, and repeated it widely - backing it up with 'But it's true, my brother told me, and he should know...'

Aye, right. He should know alright - he should know better than to make idiotic comments in the heat (or lack of it) of the moment. But I wonder how many would-be polar adventurers have picked up on the idea and loitered at platform-ends in Euston or Kings Cross.

Now we know what these three were up to...