Thomson was a border clan most numerous in the region stretching from the West Marche to Edinburgh. Clan history is thus influenced by close proximity with England.
Designed by Pringles of Inverness in 1984, this fashion tartan is essentially a grey variant of Thompson Camel. Though other Thompson Greys exist, this one has become the industry standard. The (theoretically) original Thomson Grey featured a yellow line through the black band in place of the red one here. A sample resides in the Scottish Tartans Authority's Johnston Collection. Another sample in the Scottish Tartans Authority's Dalgety Collection names it 'New Thomson Dress' and it is often also called Thompson Grey Dress.