MacDonald of the Isles as a Military Tartan

[OC Richard]

So cool about those military kilts! There are so many interesting tartans worn by Territorial, Volunteer, and Overseas Highland battalions.

Seems that those MacDonald tartans have a more clearly established provenance than most.

Three of them were simply lifted from old paintings, in modern times

The green & white one



The two red ones; very economical in that we get two tartans from one painting!

One lifted from the jacket on the left, one from the jacket on the right. The waistcoat and kilt are different yet.



All of these predate the very concept of clan tartans and anyone can title them anything they want; we have no idea what they were called when worn, if anything. Alex probably called his something like 'the green outfit'.

Also of clear provenance is the one invented by the Allen Brothers (they never established any grounds for calling themselves "Sobieski Stuart" so the Allen Brothers they remain). But... the design is far more complicated and traditional-looking than their typical 'twa stryppis' and 'thre stryppis' and 'four stryppis' ones and I wonder if it was copied from some actual tartan (they did that quite a bit too).

[jhockin]

I just noticed, for the first time ( I think?), that in both painting, the kilts clearly have box pleats across the front, over apron!

[figheadair]

I just noticed, for the first time ( I think?), that in both painting, the kilts clearly have box pleats across the front, over apron!

No, probably not box pleats per se but gathered pleats, what Bob Martin refers to as drape pleats. There's no indication that the pleats are sewn and these probably show a true feileadh beag where the material is held in place by a belt or a draw string.

[freddie]

I once found a website that listed every tartan worn by the military (unfortunately I didn't bookmark it) and MacDonald of The Isles was listed as being worn by an overseas territorial unit during the 19th century (it may have been South Africa but I really can't be sure). I once suggested on this site that both this tartan and Mackenzie were related to an old district tartan worn in the Inner Hebredies (a blue/green with red and white stripes) but I was shot down in flames!

[figheadair]

I once found a website that listed every tartan worn by the military (unfortunately I didn't bookmark it) and MacDonald of The Isles was listed as being worn by an overseas territorial unit during the 19th century (it may have been South Africa but I really can't be sure). I once suggested on this site that both this tartan and Mackenzie were related to an old district tartan worn in the Inner Hebredies (a blue/green with red and white stripes) but I was shot down in flames!

There are a number of sites that list military tartans but none gives them all in my experience. I cannot really comment on the use of the MacDonald of the Isles by an unknown territorial unit beyond the fact that it would not have been in Britain as the Territorial Army was not formed until 1908. There is an overall similarity in colour between the three setts you mention but neither the MacDonald or MacKenzie were based on the old Hebridean sett.

[Domehead]

Great stuff Guys and thanks Mr. MacDonald, for vetting everything.
Ryan M. Liddell

[Nathan]

Interestingly, if I understand correctly from your OP, this MacDonald of the Isles tartan was used by the pipers of a TA Regiment based in Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. One of the current MacDonald Chiefs, the Earl of Antrim, wears this very tartan. A connection there perhaps?