In study the collection I've examined/compared a number of the samples with fragments of various old pieces elsewhere. It appears that far from being the serious academic collector and cultural icon that Alexander Carmichael was responsible for destroying several old plaids by dividing or selling them amongst his friends such Telfer Dunbar and Skeoch Cumming. For example, this piece is very obviously off the sample plaid as that described here. MacGregor of MacGregor has a piece too and there is also a sample in the STA's collection which came from Telfer Dunbar.

A man with great foresight, cultural vandal or a bit of both? You decide.