Tartans: From Scottish Clans to Canadian Provinces

Tartans have a long and fascinating history, dating back to the 16th century. They became widespread in Scotland during the 18th century and were popularized by Sir Walter Scott's novels. Today, there are more than 2,700 known and registered setts, and this book contains many of the best-known. It is a comprehensive guide to the ancient tartans of Scotland and Ireland, as well as many other tartans adopted by organizations and regions around the world.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 14 July 2023
Publisher: Amber Books Ltd

Tartans have a rich and storied history, with patterns that are specific to certain regions dating back to the 16th century. During the 18th century, the wearing of tartans became popular in Scotland, particularly among clan warriors who chose a particular pattern of colors to show allegiance to a specific leader. Some of the earliest records of entire Scots regiments wearing the same tartan date back to the Seven Years War in Canada (1756-63). In the early 19th century, the novels of Sir Walter Scott captivated the public imagination with romanticized accounts of dashing Highlanders, leading to a trend for all things Scottish. This trend resulted in attempts to catalog the patterns, or "setts," worn by each of the traditional clans and to revive the wearing of these tartans. During this period, many new designs emerged, making tartan a true symbol of Scottishness, incorporated into clothing, biscuit tins, and trinkets.

Throughout the 20th century, tartans continued to be devised for special occasions and regions far from the Celtic countries. Today, both the United States and Canada have strong tartan traditions, with more than 2,700 known and registered setts in circulation. This book contains many of the most well-known and recognized setts.

Tartans is a comprehensive guide to the ancient tartans of Scotland and Ireland, as well as many other tartans adopted by organizations and regions around the world in more recent times. For anyone interested in tracing their Celtic roots and investigating the tartans of the Scottish clans, this is an accessible and attractive reference guide.

Weight: 370g
Dimension: 125 x 170 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781838863227