- Mill: Str
- Weight: 13 oz.
- Clan Motto: "Virtue Mine Honor"
- Known Septs Include: BEATH, BEATON, BEY, GILLAN, GILLAND, GILLIAN, GILLON, GILZEAN, HUIE, LEAN, MACBAY, MACBEATH, MACBETH, MACBEY, MACBHEATH, MACCLANE, MACCLEAN, MACCORMICK, MACFADYEN, MACFADZEAN, MACFAYDEN, MACGILLIVRAY, MACGILVRA, MACILDOWIE, MACILDUFF, MACILDUY, MACILVORA, MACLAINE, MACLERGAN, MACPHADDEN, MACRANKIN, MACVAY, MACVEAGH, MACVEY, MCBAY, MCBEATH, MCBETH, MCBEY, MCBHEATH, MCCLANE, MCCLEAN, MCCORMICK, MCFADYEN, MCFADZEAN, MCFAYDEN, MCGILLIVRAY, MCGILVRA, MCILDOWIE, MCILDUFF, MCILDUY, MCILVORA, MCLAINE, MCLERGAN, MCPHADDEN, MCRANKIN, MCVAY, MCVEAGH, MCVEY, PADON, PATON, PATTEN, PATTON, PEDEN, RANKEN, RANKINE
- Notes:
In their 1850 book "The Clan and Family Tartans of Scotland" William and Andrew Smith of Mauchline wrote: "This Tartan is sometimes woven with only one shade of blue, but this is done merely to save trouble; the oldest pattern which we have been able to procure has two shades of that colour, as we have given it." The pattern is recorded by W and A Smith in 1850 and by Grant in 1886. Logan (1831) gives a variation with a single azure stripe, but the earlier sample in the Cockburn Collection (1810-15) indicates that in this instance, Logan was wrong. There is a curious mathematical similarity with the Royal Stewart tartan in which the number of threads and the colours have been reversed. It suggests a common origin in design but no explanation can be given.
This tartan dates to Pre 1815.