A few thoughts on choice and selection: tartan, clans, etc.

[Liam]

Hi Bren,

I'm a native Scot with that sort of dilemma. I got my first adult kilt when I was in my late teens. Due to cost, I was restricted to ex-hire and got a Mackenzie kilt, a black barathea Braemar, a lovat green tweed Braemar, and all the accessories for £200. I still wear the tweed Braemar, it is of very high quality and despite being "ex-hire" it had never been hired out and was new when I got it. I still wear the kilt too, you can see it in my avatar. Obviously, being ex-hire, my choice of tartans was restricted, so I got what I got.

My second kilt (Macpherson) was chosen because I liked it, at that time being unhappy about the whole Home thing (read on!) At that time, the whole family association thing didn't bother me much, but I find that it has started to do so as I get older.

So what to do...

My paternal family name is Scottish, and traceable back to 1176, but it is a small borders family and so has no tartan of its own. It is allegedly a sept of Clan Home, but I don't put much weight on the sept association and dislike the aesthetics of the tartan. Furthermore for personal reasons I'd rather honour my mother's side than my father's, so for me, Home is ruled out.

My maternal name is also Scottish, from Aberdeenshire this time, but 'lowland' in origin, so again no tartan. It is a sept of Clan MacDonald, which has an attractive tartan, but again for me, the sept association would be trumped by direct lineage.

Going a generation back, my paternal grandmother's name is again Scottish, but this time a small family from Galloway with no tartan.

My maternal grandmother's real family name is unknown for *ahem* reasons we need not go in to, so no tartan there.

So we go back a further generation, and my mother's father's mother was a Johnstone, (which traditionally on that side of my family is said to be the tartan we should wear) and here we have a tartan that I like!

So, my next kilt will be a Weathered Johnstone, which I find aesthetically pleasing, and it honours my dear mother's side of the family.

So as you can see, sometimes it is not so straighforward for Scots, even those with entirely Scottish ancestry. Some may say that's because I'm genetically mostly a lowlander, not a highlander, but I'm a Scot either way so you'd better not try to tell me I shouldn't wear a kilt!

Perhaps you can in on an order of this tartan:
http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/news...sp?newsID=3175

[TheOfficialBren]

Calgacus,
Thank you for sharing, my friend.

This tartanry (if that's even a word) can really have some deeply personal meaning and not always for the usual hum-drum reasons.

I can kind or relate. On Dad's side, our surname is a Lowland one from Galloway (no tartan). His mother's maiden name was Shaw (obviously Clan Shaw). Herein lies the head-scratcher. My father's family, although aware of the family history, are completely disinterested in it. My mother's family is more interested in the history of our family and it was the ladies of my family who have been amongst the strongest role models in my life (although Dad is a man among men). Granny was a Robertson. I choose to wear that tartan for now. Not exactly conventional but I'm the only kiltie in my family. No one is offended by my choice. I view it as not only honouring the clan but also honouring the strong women who have helped to shape me into the man that I am today and foster a passion for history in the process.

No one is bothered at all.

My sister and eldest brother relate more to the Cherokee line bobbing around the gene pool. I relate more to our British roots. Between us we have all of the bases covered. Pow-wow. Check. Highland games. Check. Celebration of our family's cultural diversity. Check.

I would imagine that your story (and, if I may be so bold and with no toe-stomping intended) and stories similar to mine are not so uncommon (even with a chap like you who is pretty much entirely Scottish, or a guy like me who is partly of Scottish ancestry).

The reason is simple. Life happens.

Many thanks again, my friend. An invaluable lesson can be gleaned from your story.

Slainte