Assistance needed in the identification of this tartan.

[figheadair]

Or is, at least meant to be...

Thanks David. I see from Figheadair's subsequent post that the tartan may be unique (and possibly flawed technically) with regards exact colours and thread count but it did look like faded Erracht rather than Cameron (clan) to me.

I am reassured that I haven't got this tartan spotting all wrong.

I do like the concept of "I like the sett but I want to change the hue". I've considered commissioning a kilt length of Bruce Reproduction special weave along similar lines using the same thread count with different colours but I haven't got the readies right now. To do it would result in something completely unique as opposed to uncommon (as per my Bruce Hunting) and therefore would make it, specifically mine. A project for the future perhaps although I readily accept I've probably missed the point of clan tartans.

Your last para raises an interesting conumdrum. We are all assuming that the tartan in the OP was intended to be Cameron of Erracht. Technically it is not and should not have been sold as such. So, either it was sold as CoE incorrectly or it's a different (and previously unknown) sett based on the Erracht but with a different name.

Similarly, if you commission a 'new' tartan based on the setting of Bruce Hunting then I would regard it as a separate tartan. Cf the 42nd variants: Gordon, Cheape, Murray etc., or the futher colour changes such as MacNab or MacLachlan.

[davidlpope]

Just throwing this in as food for thought, Herr Doktor has indicated that the kilt is a 26" (rather slim) waist and that the colours in the folds match the colours on the outside which would tend to discount fading - it's a possiblility that the kilt has been washed instead of dry cleaned, hence the loss of particular dye colour and rather slim waist due to shrinkage? Just a thought.

Not quite. If you look at the close-ups of the twill you see that there are actually two colors (purple and khaki brown) which combine to produce the "Hodden Gray" effect where the CoE tartan would have blue. This isn't the result of fading, bleaching, etc. It's a result of the weaving.

The selvedge and the colors make me think it's a Dalgliesh-produced tartan. Why doesn't someone in the UK ring Ken and ask if he's ever seen this fabric?

David

[figheadair]

Not quite. If you look at the close-ups of the twill you see that there are actually two colors (purple and khaki brown) which combine to produce the "Hodden Gray" effect where the CoE tartan would have blue. This isn't the result of fading, bleaching, etc. It's a result of the weaving.

It does indeed have a different colour in the warp and weft but this is not how Hodden Gray is woven. The uses the same 'mixtured' yarn in both directions and it is the fact that it is not woven from a pure colour yarn that causes the mottled effect.

[davidlpope]

It does indeed have a different colour in the warp and weft but this is not how Hodden Gray is woven. The uses the same 'mixtured' yarn in both directions and it is the fact that it is not woven from a pure colour yarn that causes the mottled effect.

Agreed. As I understand it, Hodden Gray is properly a tweed. Just didn't know a better way to describe a "purplish-grayish-beige" than "Hodden Gray".

[Herr Doktor]

It is a bit of a conundrum isn't it? I have looked without success in finding out what has happened with this kilt. Thanks to everyone for having a go at it.
It is still a mystery tartan, yes?
So, perhaps for the moment I shall just name it "Ersatz-Erracht".
Until the guilty weaver comes forward, and admits to having a bottle of whiskey disguised as a shuttle hidden in the basket, we are stuck with conjecture. It is still an attractive tartan no matter what one wants to call it.

Does anyone want more photographs of the sett? Macro pictures are not a problem, so.....