Mythbusters: Campbell Tartan

[TheBrus]

This forum is always good for debunking myths about Highland dress. This may be absolute bumpf, but I wanted some folks to give this the smell-test.

I was told that Ancient Black Watch Tartan = Modern Campbell Tartan and Ancient Campbell Tartan = Muted Black Watch (looks a bit grey, purple and faded green). I've also heard the name Old Campbell... but maybe that means Ancient to some merchants?

Please advise.

[Skiballa]

Ancient Black Watch = Ancient Campbell, Modern Black Watch = Modern Campbell, and as to the Muted Black Watch, it would be Muted Campbell if the Chief recognized it as such. The important thing here is that the setts are the same, through usage and association, the darker, modern colors are generally recognized as Black Watch, and the ancient colors recognized as Campbell. There is some speculation that the Campbells adopted Black Watch as the clan tartan because so many were already wearing it. Which fits with the traditional scots frugality. Old Campbell/ Old Black Watch are usually a smaller sett from what I've seen. Additionally, I would venture that most clans that recognize the Black Watch tartan as their clan's hunting sett had large numbers of clansmen who had served in the Black Watch. I wear the Campbell Ancient proudly, in the brightest damn shades I could find.

[TheBrus]

I'll click Like on that! Thanks, Skiballa!

[Skiballa]

No problem my man! Glad I could shed a small bit of light on the subject.

[Monkey@Arms]

In fact Black Watch, Campbell, Hunting Grant, Hunting Munro, and Sutherland District are all the same tartan. Don't take my word for it, consult the expert: http://www.albanach.org/tartanname.html

Best regards,

Jake

[georgeetta]

I started a "coarse Kilt" thread .
may be the Murray tartan given by Lord George Murray's son head of a regt ..with red stripes looks liek Atholl fopr a phialbeg/work detail kilt ..the great kilt getting in way ..

somewhere I mind the official Black Watch selection was named as a Sutherland tartan in ealy 1700's .

see sons of the mountains or lt. col. iain macculloch in canada . author .

th
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[Skiballa]

In fact Black Watch, Campbell, Hunting Grant, Hunting Munro, and Sutherland District are all the same tartan. Don't take my word for it, consult the expert: http://www.albanach.org/tartanname.html

Best regards,

Jake

Thanks for the link, good information there. Looks like the merchants win there, one tartan/sett, sold under 5 or so different names, apparently I'm in the wrong line of work.

@ Georgeetta, Do you have any links to background info on the Coarse Black Watch? EDIT: Never mind, I'll track down your thread.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Here is an article I did specifically on the Black Watch tartan.
http://www.albanach.org/blackwatch.html

But yes, just to verify, Campbell, Black Watch, Hunting Munro, and Hunting Grant are all the same tartan. Whether modern, ancient, weathered, reproduction, muted, the color scheme does not matter.

[TheBrus]

Here is an article I did specifically on the Black Watch tartan.
http://www.albanach.org/blackwatch.html

But yes, just to verify, Campbell, Black Watch, Hunting Munro, and Hunting Grant are all the same tartan. Whether modern, ancient, weathered, reproduction, muted, the color scheme does not matter.

Thanks for writing articles on the subject of various clans sharing the same tartan and the relationship between the Black Watch tartan and various clans who adopted the same tartan. I enjoyed this--and it confirmed what I already knew. I find it interesting how easy it is to start the "myths" about all things Scottish.

Cheers!
Jared Brus

[David Thorpe]

..with red stripes looks liek[sic] Atholl...

I have seen the Red Hackle tartan which is the Black Watch with a thin red stripe. Are there others with this feature? I know that there are many adaptations of Black Watch with various stripes added and/or color substitutions. Could Black Watch be the most "prolific" tartan ever in that respect?