Significance of white in a tartan

[Troglodyte]

An article in the Braemar Gathering souvenir programme from a few years ago talks informatively about tartan, giving the less well-informed than we are here a bit of an insight into origins and inspiration for new setts.

The author writes that, at a lecture given on the subject, his authority and knowledge was challenged by one of the audience with the statement that white in tartan signifies it was worn at the Battle of Culloden. Why did he not know?

Hmmm, well...

That's a new one to me. So what do you make of it?

Despite the woefully mistaken and wonderfully romantic ideas, where do people get these notions..?

Imagine a hesitant customer shopping for his heritage on the Royal Mile, who is showing signs of pulling out a lucrative deal.

Our quick-thinking sales-assistant comes up with the deal-clincher of "Well, of course all those white stripes are there to show your chosen tartan was worn at Culloden. You descend from Jacobite heroes! What? Increase your oder to five kilts? One for each member of the family? Will that be cash or card, sir..?

What is it they say about fooling some of the people all of the time..?