macdonald tartans

[Riverkilt]

So Mike,

I'm reminded of a story I've told here before and can't find again...but as someone said, there are newcomers.

Being well indoctrinated into things Macdonald by my grandfather Murdoch Macdonald, I've owned a necktie in the Macdonald Lord of the Isles tartan since the 70s. That was back when I wore a suit for a living.

When I bought my first hand sewn wool kilt from Kathy Lare I wanted the Macdonald Lord of the Isles tartan. It is a lovely tartan and it fits for my ancestors from Skye.

So a few years ago I wore it proudly to the Mesa, AZ highland games. While I was there some self-appointed kilt cop jumped me at the Clan Donald tent and went into a tirade about how that tartan was reserved for Prince Charles only. I countered with questioning if that were so how come the mills have ground out the tartan for neckties for 40 years and how come Kathy could buy the material to sew up the kilt? In the end we basically agreed to mumble that common two word comment towards each other.

When I got home I emailed my local clan Donald representative and also the U.S. HQ of Clan Donald. I got a stream of emails apologizing for the guy's behavior and reassuring me I was welcome to wear that tartan, just as the mills were welcome to weave it up and sell it to the masses.

The following year I returned to the Clan Donald tent armed with written proof this fool was, in fact, a fool. But alas, he was nowhere to be found. A sweet elderly lady at the Clan Donald tent told me in quite graphic terms how unwelcome he was, how many potential members of the clan he had driven off, and how many clan members he'd alienated. The local folks had asked him please not to come around anymore.

So, if it makes you feel any better do connect with Clan Donald. I'm guessing if its okay for us to wear Lord of the Isles tartans the other branches are fair game too.



The kilt in question. Obviously, not at the Mesa games. Rather up near Moenave, a Hopi village on the Navajo reservation a bit west of Tuba City, Arizona. Its my lightest wool kilt. Material was only available in 11oz.

Ron