What tartan is the Argyll wearing?

[M. A. C. Newsome]

The Scottish Register of Tartans and the Scottish Tartans Authority both have this tartan listed as "Rob Roy (Film)", but with different colors. The tartan on the SRT's web site is gray, green, and a sort of magenta. The tartan on the STA's web site is gray, green, and a light brownish color. Going by the picture on this page, I'd say the third color is actually a chestnut color.

This picture from the mill is of actual woven cloth.

This image from the STA is computer generated, as is this image from the National Register web site.

Of the two computer generated images, the one shown on the STA's site has much more accurate colors, but even so no computer generated image is going to quite match the colors of the woven cloth. And even if one is looking at photos of the cloth, as opposed to a graphic image, one still has to consider that the individual settings of the monitor you are looking at, the lighting of the photo, etc. will all come into play.

[Morris at Heathfield]

Curiosity got the better of me, so I checked the thread count of the Scottish Register of Tartans' version. They have the color as "DWR", which stands for "dark ruby", hex color #800028. The Scottish Tartans Authority has it as "T", which I believe stands for "tan" or any shade of brown. I can understand receiving different impressions of the color from visual inspection, but what puzzles me is that the SRT uses a completely different color when they had access to the STA's tartan database, and they even display the STA's reference number for that tartan. The STWR doesn't have the tartan registered, so the "dark ruby" color probably doesn't come from them.

[figheadair]

It’s a great tartan, Peter. I’d love to see the article when it’s ready.
Regards,
Mike

http://www.scottishtartans.co.uk/Unn...f_Glengyle.pdf

[Downunder Kilt]

Thanks for the link Peter, great research, it's a pleasure to read your articles

[BoldHighlander]

As mentioned in an email very early this morning Peter, thanks again for your article!

[Orvis]

Thanks for the link to your article, Peter. The closeup photo of the joining seam of the plaid plainly shows the herringbone ("baseball") stitch used to join the two pieces.

[Derek Conley]

Great article; thanks for sharing it.

[BoldHighlander]

http://www.scottishtartans.co.uk/Unn...f_Glengyle.pdf

So Peter, this was the tartan choice the director of Rob Roy turned down?
What exactly was his objection to it?
(Oh, just re-read where you said he didn't think it manly enough)

It would have been interesting to see this tartan in the film, even if worn by just a couple of background characters.

While on the same tack, what is the background of the tartan that was chosen for Rob Roy/the MacGregors represented in the film?

I do like that tartan, and I'm just curious (besides of which, my favorite period of Highland dress/weapons is mid-to-late 1600's to the '45)

Thanks.

[figheadair]

While on the same tack, what is the background of the tartan that was chosen for Rob Roy/the MacGregors represented in the film?

I do like that tartan, and I'm just curious (besides of which, my favorite period of Highland dress/weapons is mid-to-late 1600's to the '45)

Thanks.

I was not involved with that bit of the costume/tartan. It was especially commissioned by the film company from the weavers on Mull. A blue and brown based sett if I recall. they wanted something that would blend in.

[BoldHighlander]

I was not involved with that bit of the costume/tartan. It was especially commissioned by the film company from the weavers on Mull. A blue and brown based sett if I recall. they wanted something that would blend in.

Thanks Peter.