why are these the 13 most popular tartans?

[OC Richard]

This got me to thinking for a moment. I wonder why us, "the public", has decided that these are the most popular tartans. (My assumption being that these sorts of kilt sellers want to sell as many kilts as possible, and therefore carry the tartans people most often ask for.)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FREEDOM-TART...item20c48d4a7a

Overall they show some variety (a couple black-based ones, a grey-based one) but three, Black Watch, Gunn, and MacKenzie, are very similar in overall look. In other words the point doesn't seem to be to offer colour variety.

One thing which struck me is that only one is a red-ground tartan. When I looked back at old programmes from The World Pipe Band Championships I discovered that most of the UK-based pipe bands back in the 1980s wore only three or four different tartans, all of them red-ground tartans. Maybe these modern kilts are targeted at Scotland football and rugby supporters and red isn't deemed as appropriate (Scottish kits being usually blue, but also sometimes purple).

[artificer]

I frequently see Wallace in the selections as well.

ith:

[Chas]

This got me to thinking for a moment. I wonder why us, "the public", has decided that these are the most popular tartans. (My assumption being that these sorts of kilt sellers want to sell as many kilts as possible, and therefore carry the tartans people most often ask for.)

I would dispute that. Those are the most popular 13 tartans which, that company sells. Where's Burberry? Flower of Scotland? Loud MacLeod? Saltire?

And what makes 13 so special? If truth be told, those are the 13 tartans that Edinburgh KiltMakers can buy cheapest.

Regards

Chas

[Tam Piperson]

Nothing to do with the relationship between those particular tartans and the names that they are called by evidently......



Top 100 Surnames in Scotland
According to a survey by the Registrar General for Scotland in 1990

1 Smith 2 Brown 3 Wilson 4 Stewart 5 Thomson 6 Campbell 7 Robertson 8 Anderson 9 Scott 10 MacDonald 11 Murray 12 Reid 13 Taylor 14 Clark 15 Young 16 Ross 17 Watson 18 Morrison 19 Mitchell 20 Walker 21 Paterson 22 Fraser 23 Kerr 24 Miller 25 Duncan 26 Hamilton 27 Cameron 28 Gray 29 Johnston 30 Graham 31 Davidson 32 McDonald 33 Henderson

34 Martin 35 Grant 36 Bell 37 Hunter 38 Ferguson 39 Kelly 40 Simpson 41 Allan 42 Black 43 McLean 44 MacLeod 45 MacKenzie 46 Wallace 47 Mackay 48 Marshall 49 Gibson 50 Russell 51 Kennedy 52 Wright 53 Stevenson 54 Gordon 55 Wood 56 Sutherland 57 White 58 Milne 59 Burns 60 Muir 61 Watt 62 McKay 63 McMillan 64 Millar 65 McIntosh 66 Craig 67 Cunningham

68 Munro 69 Hughes 70 Johnstone 71 McKenzie 72 Sinclair 72 Williamson 74 Ritchie 75 Murphy 76 Bruce 77 Jones 78 McGregor 79 Boyle 80 Crawford 81 Fleming 82 Dickson 82 Douglas 82 Shaw 85 McLaughlin 86 Alexander 87 Docherty 88 Jamieson 89 Lindsay 90 King 91 Donaldson 92 Christie 93 Hill 94 McIntyre 95 Findlay 96 Ramsay 97 Aitken 98 McFarlane 99 McLeod 100 Mackie 100 MacLean

[HenryT]

those are the 13 tartans that Edinburgh KiltMakers can buy cheapest

Chas

Absolutely, and without a doubt, I would say your observation is dead on.

[cessna152towser]

I think these are simply the choice of the retail chain which sells these kilts.
Some are well known Scottish tartans but there are others like the Heritage of Scotland tartan which you will see worn by Heritage of Scotland shop staff on Edinburgh's Royal Mile.
Also the Grey Hamilton tartan. This is not the Hamilton sett in shades of grey, rather it is a fashion check (one of the retailers of which is Hamilton Products). I have been unable to find this Grey Hamilton or Hamilton Grey in the Scottish Tartans Register.
I note also that the kilts are produced by Victor Scott Kiltmaker. A quick look for their website suggests it is currently down. The name Victor Scott did ring a bell though as the address for Victor Scott Kiltmaker is the same as one of Edinburgh's more touristy kilt shops. Last time I was in there the assistant who served me was wearing a purple based tartan similar to but slightly different from Heritage of Scotland and when I asked him what was his tartan he said it was the Victor Scott tartan. I guess these 13 tartans are the ones you will mostly find in the various economically priced shops on Edinburgh's Royal Mile.

[Tam Piperson]

One wonders if these kilts are even made from material that was woven in Scotland, or if instead they are made up in Pakistan from fabric imported from Asia.

[The Wizard of BC]

I'm sorry, these are not the 13 most popular Tartans.

These are the tartans offered as stock by this ebay seller.

Yes, the middle east does weave miles and miles of fabric.
Yes, hundreds of garments are made each day.
Yes, thousands of garments are shipped all over the world.

But lets compare this stock kilt list on ebay to the list of the most woven and sold Tartans by one of the most respected weavers in Scotland.

Lochcarron of Scotland located in Selkirk lists the most common Tartans they weave and sell as:

1 Scotland Forever (Mod)
2 Highland Granite
3 Black Watch
4 Isle of Skye
5 MacKenzie (Mod)
6 Royal Stewart (Mod)
7 Stewart Hunting (Mod)
8 Gordon (Mod)
9 Douglas (Mod)
10 MacDonald of the Isles Htg (Anc)
11 Spirit of Scotland (Mod)
12 Stewart Black (Mod)
13 Hunter (Mod)
14 MacDonald of the Isles Htg (Mod)
15 Campbell / Black Watch (Anc)
16 Ramsay Blue (Anc)
17 Campbell of Argyll (Mod)
18 Gunn (Mod)
19 Robertson Htg. (Mod)
20 Robertson Htg. (Anc)
21 Thompson Blue
22 MacKay (Anc)
23 Campbell of Argyll (Anc)
24 MacLean of Duart (Mod)
25 Lamont (Mod)

[McClef]

In other words not merely the ones that are "Designed in Scotland" (a continued red rag to a bull) but the ones that are actually woven there too.

[eagle43172]

If I may ask my good friend Richard's question another way, how did the weavers/providers of P/V and acrylic tartan chose which tartans to sell. Some are not that traditional.