Scots outraged over restricted tartan

[imrichmond]

It appears that The Scotsman newspaper has just learned, 80 years after the fact, that the wearing of the Balmoral tartan is restricted to members of the royal family and the queen's piper: http://www.scotsman.com/news/royals-...rtan-1-4203624 The article has inspired a number of outraged comments.

[ThistleDown]

Hmm, 'outraged' is a fairly strong word. 'Surprised' may be a better one. Until The Scotsman informed them, I doubt most Scots knew the Balmoral was a 'restricted' tartan and wouldn't care much in any case. Generally speaking, Scots wear their own family's tartan or, on hire occasions, the tartans of the hire companies (currently Black Watch, Black Isle, Grey Granite and the like) and wouldn't think of wearing the Balmoral. On the other hand, Scottish Field has an article in its current issue entitled 'Tartan terrors', with a sub 'Unless we call a halt to the riot of garish new designs threatening our national dress -- such as the luminous Incredible Hulk tartan -- we risk losing the collective pride in our national plaid'.

[Liam]

It appears that The Scotsman newspaper has just learned, 80 years after the fact, that the wearing of the Balmoral tartan is restricted to members of the royal family and the queen's piper: http://www.scotsman.com/news/royals-...rtan-1-4203624 The article has inspired a number of outraged comments.

The writer of the article you reference should do some fact checking. The Act of Proscription of 1747, did not ban tartan, but highland dress including kilts. It was repealed on July 1, 1782 not 1822 as stated in the article. And I don't think anyone should be disturbed that they cannot wear something that someone else has restricted. Sometimes newspapers are trying to manufacture the news, not report it.

[Royboy]

the luminous Incredible Hulk tartan --

I had no idea that was even a thing. . .but apparently it is....

[Roadkill]

it gets worse. There are more that just the Hulk...
http://www.scotlandnow.dailyrecord.c...heroes-6690166



Actually, the Batman tartan is not too bad

[figheadair]

The writer of the article you reference should do some fact checking. The Act of Proscription of 1747, did not ban tartan, but highland dress including kilts. It was repealed on July 1, 1782 not 1822 as stated in the article. And I don't think anyone should be disturbed that they cannot wear something that someone else has restricted. Sometimes newspapers are trying to manufacture the news, not report it.

I've just made the same points in the Comments.

[Jock Scot]

Scots outraged over a restricted tartan? A few perhaps. Most Scots, I venture to suggest, know little about the finer points of tartan and care even less. News must be short at the moment and accurate news is as always, in even shorter supply.

If anyone is interested, I started a thread on the Balmoral tartan etc., some time ago. Use the search function and look for the thread title of," Balmoral tartan at Balmoral."

[robert_law]

The Balmoral Tartan is the privet Tartan for HM the Queen I have know about this for years !.

As for the Incredible Hulk tartan ! the more the better , most of our current tartans where designed in Victorian times and thanks to both Sir Walter Scott and later HM queen Victoria who both helped save our identity.

I have an Apollo 12 kilt which was designed by Houston Kilt makers in Paisley and with help from the astronauts ! he designed the Batman and Superman Tartans ! I think things like this a brilliant and would help encourage children to wear kilts

people are designing Tartan's all the time in Scotland and long may it continue !

[ThistleDown]

The Scottish Field article (not The Scotsman one full of inaccuracies and bumpf) reveals a concern among some Scots that the Scottish Registry of Tartans is exactly fulfilling its mandate -- unfortunately. It's there to register all tartans without regard to taste (?)

According to the article there are 7,329 tartans registered today, with 1,565 registered since 2009. 'Each year around 2300 new tartans are designed by businesses, charities, families and any other Tom, Dick or Jimmy who might fancy getting into the act.' The criteria for registered a new tartan are hardly strict (and the fee is about GBP70) and within the definition: 'A tartan is a design which is capable of being woven, consisting of two or more alternating coloured stripes which combine vertically and horizontally to form a repeated checkered pattern.'

The SF article concludes that it is time Scotland took tartan in hand and stopped the onslaught 'of new designs which only serve to dilute the beauty of the textile. It's time to ensure that tartan remains something that Scotland canbe proud to have as the basis for its national dress.'

[figheadair]

As for the Incredible Hulk tartan ! the more the better

Except that names such as this are Registered Trademarks and one cannot simply seal othr people's Intellectual Property

most of our current tartans where designed in Victorian times

That's not actually the case. There were probably more tartans designed during the Highland Revival era (Georgian) than Victorian and adding both together and those designed up to c1950 will still only get to somewhere in the region of 1500-2000 setts.

The real increase in tartans has occurred since the 1990s and the widespread access to design software. Unfortunately Pandora's Box has been opened and the plethora of vanity tartans designed 'because I can' is, IMO, devaluing the subject. Those that follow the new designs registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans, what you don’t see is those that the Advisory Panel reject for one reason or other. For example, The Incredible Hulk etc., tartan would not be accepted without proof of ownership/authority.