Pipe Band tartan trends

**Tomo** · 7th August 20, 12:06 AM

I was in Edinburgh about 18 months back with my daughter (she was 3 at the time). One of the places we went in was the Celtic Craft Centre and as soon as we walked in she shouted look Daddy it's our tartan.

They guy in the shop was in the middle of packing up a full set of kilts for a pipe band in Macfarlane (Clan/Red) Ancient. There must have been 20 to 30 of them on the counter and rails.

I think he said it was a band in France - but one thing's for sure, they are not heading down the muted tartan route.

Of course, I have no idea what they will be combing this with. I tend towards a more earthy pallet to tone it down, but with BASB and a different sporrans I think the higher contrast would make the overall effect much more vivid - perhaps it's versatile option that's easy to dress up or dress down..

**Shinenotburn** · 7th August 20, 04:31 PM

That looks fantastic! A very well balanced outfit indeed.

**gun eagal** · 7th August 20, 08:23 PM

I think that photo was taken a few years ago because Alan Bevan has been PM since 2014, and it looks like Terry Lee is still PM in that photo. But they wore the same kilts at the worlds in 2019. How much does it cost to outfit that organization? They must have hundreds of members between all their bands. Back in the day we called them "The Red Tartan Army" after the pibroch.

**OC Richard** · 8th August 20, 05:32 PM

It's a complex tale with SFU, RMM, Maple Ridge, Triumph Street.

As band people know, two daunting expenses facing a startup band are kilts and drums.

We did the most economical thing: we bought a whole band set of kilts from a band who had just switched to new kilts, a new tartan.

We wear the old Regina Police kilts, in Prince Charles Edward Stuart tartan.

**gun eagal** · 13th August 20, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

We wear the old Regina Police kilts, in Prince Charles Edward Stuart tartan.

Which band is that, Richard? That is a very nice tartan for pipe bands, and seems to be used by a lot of Police pipe bands. Perhaps it is because the Edinburgh Police wore that tartan back in the day?

**OC Richard** · 15th August 20, 04:15 PM

We're now the Long Beach Pipe Band.

Started out as the Los Angeles Scottish G4, then got promoted to G3, then became the Long Beach Fire Department Pipe Band (which was when we got the old Regina Police PCES kilts, great kilts for a fire dept band) and now on our own as the Long Beach Pipe Band.

Here's myself (left) and the Pipe Major at a Games, I think we're playing for the Drum Majors contest.

I didn't know Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band wore that tartan! It's the old tartan of the 72nd Highlanders

They lost that tartan in 1881 when they became the 1st Battalion the Seaforth Highlanders, and switched to MacKenzie.

The tartan survived only in the rear pipe ribbon worn by pipers of the 1st Battalion