Being a MacMillan, you know which tartan I am partial to.
What's the story with MacMillan? Putting them side-by-side it's clear that it's Buchanan with a number of the fine lines removed (or the other way round, Buchanan being MacMillian with fine lines added).
Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte
What's the story with MacMillan? Putting them side-by-side it's clear that it's Buchanan with a number of the fine lines removed (or the other way round, Buchanan being MacMillian with fine lines added).
MacMillan does appears a more simplified version of the Buchanan at first glance. Buchanan is utilizing the greens where it is brown scale for the MacMillan. The maroon threads are brighter with the MacMillan in the weathered palate. The obvious difference is the white threads absent in MacMillan. While most clans were satisfied with their personal holdings of lands in regional locations, e.i. MacMillans around Lochaber, Knapdale, Kintyre and in Glen Urquhart and Buchanans strongholds around Loch Lomond, there were clan connections between families as we all know. But back to the tartan palates. Weathered tartans are fairly "new" in the scheme of things as a colour palate goes; earth-tones and threads mimicking the effects of fading over time, etc... Historically, I am sure there were many tartans in certain regions that were close to each other due to natural resources available for the dyeing of the wool. But I am saying nothing new here to our well schooled tartan/kilt aficionados present in this grand forum.
"Cuimhnich air na daoine o'n d'thaining thu"
Remember the men from whom you are descended.
Logan in 1831 stated that the Buchanans and MacMillans wore the same tartan, however the colouring of the illustration of the MacMillan figure has simplified Buchanan somewhat, and weavers followed the errors in the illustration rather than the unambiguous text in order to create a dedicated MacMillan tartan.
Here at right is a c1800-1810 example of Buchanan, centre the McIan "Buchanan" illustration, and left the McIan "MacMillan" illustration.
Last edited by OC Richard; 25th December 23 at 07:21 AM.
Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte
Originally Posted by COScotsman
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