78th Fraser tartan

[OC Richard]

There are two Canadian pipe bands called the 78th Highlanders, the 78th Fraser Highlanders and the 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel).

The 78th Fraser Highlanders changed their tartan fairly recently. For many years they wore the Fraser in "Ancient" colours, which is AFAIK the same tartan worn by the 18th century re-enactors and musicians.

Here's their current tartan, which the descriptions I've heard infer that it was designed expressly for the band.







It doesn't seem quite the same as any of the tartans discussed here by Peter MacDonald

https://www.scottishtartans.co.uk/78...ers_Tartan.pdf

I think the Black Watch double-track motif is occurring in the red area, well sort of, it's in the centre of alternating red areas, but it's been pushed all the way to the borders of the other red areas, not having a red line separate it from the dark area so that it can be fully seen.

[jesuisprest]

Very interesting. I was unaware that they had done this. I always had liked that they wore the previous one but this isn't a bad looking tartan. Do we know when or who helped them design this?

[Steve Ashton]

Just a note -

The 78th Fraser's pipe band and The 78th Fraser Highlanders historical association have been separte entities since 1982.

Th pipe band wear a different Tartan from the historical association.

[OC Richard]

Just a note -

The 78th Fraser's pipe band and The 78th Fraser Highlanders historical association have been separte entities since 1982.

Th pipe band wear a different Tartan from the historical association.

Yes as I mentioned in my original post the Fraser in Ancient colours has continued to be worn by the people in 18th century uniform (I didn't know their title was The 78th Fraser Highlanders Historical Association).

Fraser Ancient was also worn by the 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band and Simon Fraser University Pipe Band; both bands have changed their tartans in recent years.

What SFU did was to have Fraser woven in an interesting and attractive colour scheme, retaining the Ancient red and Ancient green, but changing the blue to the dark Modern blue.

The 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel) wear the Seaforth MacKenzie tartan

[figheadair]

Very interesting. I was unaware that they had done this. I always had liked that they wore the previous one but this isn't a bad looking tartan. Do we know when or who helped them design this?

I am not aware of the change so confirmation would be useful but it appears that they have taken the old sett and swapped the colours around.

I've emailed them for details.

[Steve Ashton]

The Tartan used by the 78th Fraser Highlanders, not the pipe band, is the Black Watch Tartan with the colors changed to Orange.

We at FK call it "The Pumpkin Kilt"

[figheadair]

The Tartan used by the 78th Fraser Highlanders, not the pipe band, is the Black Watch Tartan with the colors changed to Orange.

We at FK call it "The Pumpkin Kilt"

Steve, although the 42nd sett was obvously used as the basic for the Fraser tartan the latter misses out a fine stripe between the double red tramlines and the green.

42nd


Fraser

[Steve Ashton]

Correct The Black Watch and the 78th Fraser Tartans while very similar are not exactly the same.

[OC Richard]

Thanks for posting that comparison, it goes to show how the areas with the double-track lines moved to the edges (without separating lines) somewhat hides the effect which is so much a part of the Black Watch tartan.

I wasn't able to find anything on the 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band Facebook page that discusses their new tartan or how it came about.

Like the new tartan that Simon Fraser University Pipe Band wears it's a change of colours.

The kilts SFU wore for decades



Their new kilts

[tokareva]

New ones look much nicer IMHO.