2013 tartan ID

**OC Richard** · 4th July 22, 03:31 AM

I was going back over pipe band photos I took in 2013 and found this band, which research told me was the Alberta Caledonian Pipe Band, which as far as I know no longer exists.

I'm fairly sure that they wore Caledonia (ancient colours) for many years, so I'm not sure what to make of this tartan.

The only photo I got of them in sunlight shows the backs of the kilts, where you can get the best idea of the colours.

The best photo I got of their kilts from the front is this one, in the shade.

I'm guessing the tartan is a bespoke weave of Caledonian.

**John_Carrick** · 4th July 22, 10:31 AM

Nice. Sorry not a clue as to what it is: looks very modern and maybe belonging to an organisation?

**figheadair** · 5th July 22, 12:21 AM

Richard,

It's a variation of Wilsons' Caledonia tartan that was designed for the Alberta Caledonia Pipe Band and attributed to a gentleman named Mo Miller.

**OC Richard** · 6th July 22, 03:34 AM

Thanks!

The difference between the overall look of these new kilts to their old kilts is so great that at first I didn't realise they were variants of the same tartan.

Here's a 2013 photo of the new Alberta Caledonian kilt and their previous kilt, here worn by former member Alasdair Briggs.

The blue looks similar to the "muted" blue of House of Edgar, and perhaps the green too.

To better see what changes were made I put House of Edgar's Caledonia beside the rear of one of the new ALCAL kilts.

Note how the change in proportion alters the overall appearance; the blue area is expanded, yet the red stripe reduced.

Also the red area has shrunk and its two white lines have become one.

**OC Richard** · 6th July 22, 04:05 AM

And since the bands are about the music, here's a recording done the same day I took those photos, at the United Scottish Societies of Southern California's 81st annual Highland Games (held in Costa Mesa, Orange County) in 2013.

Colours are bad in all the videos I saw, but still we get an impression of the kilts' overall look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FaSeLG0w2Y&t=57s

Videos from 2011 and earlier showing the band wearing Caledonia ancient.

**OC Richard** · 6th July 22, 04:12 AM

The overall colours of the new ALCAL kilts have an Edgar-y feel to me.

Here's a band wearing Roxburgh District (muted colours) from HoE.

**PiperPadre** · 7th July 22, 09:09 PM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

And since the bands are about the music, here's a recording done the same day I took those photos, at the United Scottish Societies of Southern California's 81st annual Highland Games (held in Costa Mesa, Orange County) in 2013.

Colours are bad in all the videos I saw, but still we get an impression of the kilts' overall look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FaSeLG0w2Y&t=57s

Videos from 2011 and earlier showing the band wearing Caledonia ancient.

Brilliant sounding pipe band! It's a shame they're not together (my own selfish first reaction to their demise) although, they've got to do what they think best, of course.