Scottish Tartan: 15 Incredible facts you never knew about Tartan, a powerful Scottish symbol
Tartan is one of Scotland’s most famous cultural exports, but isn’t there more to tartan than its Scottish symbolism alone? In summary, yes… A lot!
Patterns of interlocking stripes on clothing are known by man as “plaid” but this is in fact tartan. The word ‘plaid’ actually originates from the Scottish Gaelic ‘plaide’ which means ‘blanket’, and it refers to Highland dress where such material was used to form a ‘kilt’ - a word connected to the Scots language.
Tartan has been dated back to 3000 BC in some parts of the world while the earliest known tartans in Scotland came in around the 3rd or 4th century, so why is it such a powerful Scottish symbol? It comes down to Scottish Highland culture and how after the Battle of Culloden in 1746 the British Government passed the Act of Proscription which forbade the use of tartan to suppress Scottish culture. This makes its prominence in Scotland today symbolically powerful when we reflect on its history.
Indeed, there’s a lot to tartan and its relationship to the Scottish identity, so in celebration of it here are 15 facts about tartan you (probably) never knew.
Indeed, there’s a lot to tartan and its relationship to the Scottish identity, so in celebration of it here are 15 facts about tartan you (probably) never knew.
5. Tartan has been taken to the moon
The first and only ever piece of tartan to be taken to the moon was the MacBean tartan. It was taken there back in 1969 by Alan Bean who was the fourth man to walk on the moon's surface. Photo: Submitted
6. The Royal Stewart Tartan was Queen Elizabeth II's personal one
Royal Stewart Tartan has long been known as the personal tartan of Queen Elizabeth II and the royal House of Stewart. However, during the 1970s the colours gained a significant alternative meaning as the preferred colours of the UK punk scene, who were keen to diminish the image of Victorian state power it presented by tearing it up and wearing it in unconventional ways. Photo: Fiona Hanson
7. The oldest tartan ever found in Scotland dates to 250 AD
With an estimate of over 4,500 tartans in existence, new tartans can be registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans. The oldest tartan ever found in Scotland was found buried in a pottery jar in Falkirk and filled with Roman-era coins and was made of sheep’s wool. Photo: Submitted
8. Almost every Canadian province has its own tartan
With the exception of Nunavut located in the North, every province and territory of Canada has its own official tartan. Photo: via WikiCommons