Quote Originally Posted by M. A. C. Newsome View Post
I'm a bit embarrassed to say I didn't recognize it at first, but that's an old MacQuarrie tartan, isn't it? Is that one from the Highland Society collection?
Bang on Matt.

Here is the original compared with a reconstructed graphic.





The fragment is all that I've had access to for a couple of years. It's an offcut of the larger piece in the HSL which I've been trying to get access to for a couple of years but the whole collection and anything else in the archives has been unavailable to study whilst there's a major refurbishment programme going on. All very frustrating.

The sample is interesting because it is what I would describe as rural weave as opposed to the majority of the early HSL samples which were of Wilsons' cloth. This one is in a different league and I suspect was actually provided to/by the chief from his lands. Whether than was Ulva or elsewhere I cannot say but the herringbone selvedge suggests that this was originally a plaid/plaiding. Clearly hand woven from hand spun yarn, this piece is almost certainly much earlier than the HSL. I'd date is anywhere between c1740-80 and probably nearer the '45 end of that spectrum.

The irregular sequence at the red/pink pivot is undoubtedly the weaver's error. Note it's in the weft and very easy to do and miss until one trys to match the sett when joining the two halves.