If in doubt, have a look at our surname search facility. I'm due to get married to an Aberdonian and would like to wear a kilt, although I am English. I have a Scottish great grandfather who was named Cuthbertson.
Your website has the Angus district tartan listed. While another site has Angus, Inverness and Lothian. Please can you confirm which is correct? Statistically Angus seems to be the winner! Over the decades the Scottish tartan industry has sought to fulfil the huge public demand for tartans. When there was no discernible clan connection, weavers would often seek some other way of linking a name to a tartan. In the case of Cuthbertson, the scenario may well have been that researchers studied Scotland's electoral rolls or telephone directories to identify where there were large concentrations of that surname.
That's not an unreasonable method bearing in mind that probably all clan tartans started life as district tartans - most of the people living in one glen would use the output from the same weaver and since they invariably belonged to the same clan or were dependants of that clan chief, that district tartan eventually became associated with the people from that area rather than the area.
One researcher may have decided that since the county of Angus had the most, he would stick at that. A later researcher may have added areas where there were sizeable but lesser numbers of Cuthbertsons and so we end up with an anomaly, the solution to which may never appear.
Sorry not to be more helpful. Try looking at names further back on your great grandfather's and great grandmother's side and see if you can come up with one that has a clan connection. If you're going to hire a kilt for the wedding then your research may have been wasted since you'll have a pretty limited choice of tartans to choose from.
Whatever tartan you wear, enjoy it. A closing thought - if your bride is an Aberdonian why not get married life off to a good start and show her who's boss by wearing the Aberdeen tartan!
Do kilts have to be made of a certain material? Traditionally kilts have always been made of wool but they obviously can be made out of other materials such as cotton, linen or polyviscose mixtures. Some trendy kilts are even made out of denim, hessian or leather. Be warned though. Sporran tassels, how many are you supposed to have and do they mean anything? There's no significance at all to the number of tassels a sporran might have. Most sporrans have none at all. Do blokes have to wear a big pin with their kilts, just like I used to when I was a girl?
The custom of wearing a pin came in during Queen Victoria's reign to stop the kilt apron flapping about too much and showing more of the wearer's anatomy than the Queen liked! Kilt pins or brooches are still worn today but for decoration only since the pin only goes through the front apron and doesn't fix it to the kilt underneath. What tartan would the Prince of Wales wear on an official trip to Scotland?
His Scottish title is Duke of Rothesay and so he could well wear that one. However he can also wear the Hunting Stewart or the Balmoral - the former is a Royal favourite and the latter is the private tartan of the British Royal family.
I would like to buy my husband a kilt as a birthday surprise. I'm fairly good at sewing but don't know where to get the tartan. Can you help? I think we would be doing you and you husband a great favour if we said 'No! Kilts are not like trousers where a knowledge of the waist size and leg length is enough information for you to buy 'off the peg' or get the trusty Singer sewing machine out.
Each kilt is individually made and there are special measurements that need to be taken which really require the co-operation of the wearer.
Being good at sewing I'm afraid is not going to help you very much. Kilt making is a very specialist task: you need about 24 feet 7. Master kiltmakers have been at it for donkey's years! Have a look at our kiltmaking section and you'll get an idea of what's involved. This renowned regiment was of course best known as the Black Watch.
This is a plaid for someone who likes to stand out in a crowd. But MacLeod of Lewis tartan has outgrown these origins to be universally recognised as one of the boldest fabric patterns in the world.
The Lindsay tartan is another that's been commercially successful thanks to its sophisticated beauty and flexible styling. Popular for everything from school uniforms to ladies' skirts and jackets, the Lindsay tartan has a place in countless hearts. Descended from Danes, the first Lindsay recorded in Scotland was in and the family prospered both in both Scotland and England until they had to give up the English parts during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
Now the family is found all over the world. But their tartan is found much more widely still! The Dress Stewart tartan is another plaid found in many a school uniform. But its popularity is much wider than that, used in everything from high fashion to traditional interiors.
Dress tartans are typically showy, designed of course for dress-up occasions. But Dress Stewart somehow does so in a way that's classy. Dress Stewart is nowadays so widely used for commercial production that few wearers probably even reflect on its historic links with the Stewart clan.
But it remains a source of pride for many Stewart family members to see their fabrics being enjoyed all over the world.
The Scotland Forever tartan is a more modern invention by one of the Scottish weaving mills. Taking its name from a famous battle cry heard at Waterloo, the Scotland Forever was created especially to meet the need for a plaid design that could be worn by anyone, wherever they lived, and whether or not they had Scottish blood. After all, which of us wouldn't agree: Scotland Forever! Tartans aren't only for families and clans.
The tradition is really about honouring a community you belong to and love. So there are plaids for countries, cities, regions, and villages.
There are tartans for companies, clubs, and events. Lots of universities and schools have their own. Heck, you can even design your own tartan. But here's the big take-away: there's no rule to stop you wearing any old clan or family tartan! Firstly you can check back through your family tree and see if a Scottish name comes up. Some people claim that you should check back along your mothers side but this is a bit of a myth, there are no rules about what surname you choose, if you have Scottish ancestry and can find a clan tartan then feel free to wear it.
If that route fails then maybe your name is associated with a Scottish District. Not all Scottish names are clan names, particularly around the central belt but there are many district tartans which cover areas of Scotland and the larger cities. If your search for a tartan is based on a desire to purchase a kilt then there is another option; many people opt for single colour or tweed kilts which have become very fashionable.
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