Tartans

Tartan colours always seem to be associated with Christmas – reds, golds, greens - but a tartan can be any colour, and has nothing to do with Christmas. The pattern of interlocking stripes that make a tartan is often mistakenly known as ‘plaid’, which is Gaelic for ‘blanket’, and is specifically used in the context of Highland dress to refer to a large length of material. The original kilt was known as a ‘belted plaid’ and was a length of cloth or blanket that was gathered and belted at the waist (as seen in the movie ‘Highlander’). The ‘plaids’ were often made from a tartan cloth, so confusion between the two terms is understandable.

Tartan (Scottish Gaelic: breacan) is a patterned cloth consisting of crossing horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours, forming repeating symmetrical patterns known as setts, running in both the warp and weft of the cloth, and you might immediately think of Scottish clans and ancient traditions, but anyone can design their own tartan, and they aren’t just reserved for Scottish nobility or expert weavers -and you absolutely do not have to be Scottish, a secret that thousands of tartan designers around the world already know.

Do you need permission to wear tartan?

Regardless of your heritage, for the most part, you're free to wear any tartan you wish, but some tartans may be restricted. Corporate tartans (Burberry, for example) are usually not available for purchase unless you represent the company in an official capacity. The main rule of exception is the Balmoral tartan, which is exclusive to the British Royal Family, and it can only be worn if you have permission from the Monarch.

The Scottish Register of Tartans in Scotland is a non-official department for the recording of known historical tartans and for paid registration of new tartan designs, which must fulfil fairly stringent criteria.

The oldest tartan ever recorded in Scotland showed, through radiocarbon dating, to originate from the 16th century, and known as the ‘Glen Affric tartan’, it was discovered in the early 1980s in a peat bog near Glen Affric, in the Scottish Highlands.

Are tartans in other countries?

In other parts of the world, tartan cloth has been found dating to around 3000 BC. Virtually everywhere there was woven cloth, people created tartan designs. Yet only in Scotland have they been given cultural significance.

Which brings us to Kilts and Sporrans - Irish or Scottish?

One of the main differences between Irish and Scottish kilts is the pattern. Scottish kilts are often unique patterns that represent different Scottish clans, but Irish kilts often feature plain colours such as shades of green or orange. There are over 7,000 unique tartans on record – even the Obamas and Hello Kitty have their own tartans!

Kilts nowadays are used in formal or national dress, and are traditionally made from 8 yards (over 7 metres) of wool tartan fabric, pleated at the back. A few people still wear a kilt daily, but it is more likely to be worn at weddings or other formal occasions. Famously, the tradition with the iconic kilt is no underwear, and if you're discovered going ‘full commando’, you have to buy the person who discovered it two beers. But really – would you want to go for a pint with someone who’d been sneaking a peek under your kilt?

Kilts have no pockets, and so the sporran was born out of necessity, and one sporran on display at the National Museum in Edinburgh features a clasp of brass and steel with four concealed pistols inside, the contraption being designed to be discharged should anybody attempt to open the locked purse, thus either killing or maiming the thief (and in theory blowing up your own crown jewels). However, sporrans have retained their basic design principles, and nowadays are useful for anything from car keys to mobile phones.

Joking, Billy Connolly once said: ‘Scottish-Americans tell you that to identify tartans, it's easy - you simply look under the kilt, and if it's a quarter-pounder, you know it's a McDonalds.’ Well, I thought it was funny.

Marilyn writes regularly for The Portugal News, and has lived in the Algarve for some years. A dog-lover, she has lived in Ireland, UK, Bermuda and the Isle of Man. 

Marilyn Sheridan