macdonald tartans

[Peter C.]

This subject has been covered in many threads on this website.

The rule is:- There are no rules

Anyone on earth can wear a kilt made from any tartan that is available. Scottish ancestry or clan affiliation is not a requirement.

So get your tartan and enjoy it.

peter

[Quaich Maker]

I had a question for all. I am actually affiliated with Clan MacDonald, and I was wondering to wear the MacDonald of Clan Ranald tartan, can any macdonald wear it, or do you have to be from the macdonald of clan ranald branch. Just curious. No matter what, i am going to get the MacDonald Modern tartan anyway. Just curious on your thoughts. I can't really find any connection to the MacDonald of Clan Ranald , but I do have the connection to just Clan MacDonald.

Let me know

Thanks

Ard Choille

Mike

Mike , you could search out the official Clan Donald sites , and enquire from them .
http://www.clan-donald-usa.org/

Plus there is the added benefit of everything else that the societies have to offer . There may be a branch local to you .

cheers ,
QM

[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

[Phil]

As others have said there are no laws about wearing a tartan. If you are a Macdonald then one of their tartans is the obvious choice. Unless your Dad emigrated from Islay or thereabouts there's no way you can know which branch to choose so go for the one you like and wear it with pride as a Macdonald.

[Cawdorian]

The "generic" Clan Donald tartan is one of the most beautiful and distinctive tartans around. Tracing your MacDonald ancestry to one of the specific clan groups is a difficult task. The Clan Donald Society does have a clan geneologist, they can help you sort these lines out.