This is a list of

tartan Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...

s from around the world. The examples shown below are generally emblematic of a particular association. However, for each clan or family, there are often numerous other official or unofficial variations. There are also innumerable tartan designs that are not affiliated with any group, but were simply created for aesthetic reasons.

British noble and regimental tartans

Tartans in this section are those of the current or former British royal family, of individual

British nobility The British nobility is made up of the peerage and the (landed) gentry. The nobility of its four constituent home nations has played a major role in shaping the history of the country, although now they retain only the rights to stand for electio ...

members, and of

British military The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, su ...

regiments that use traditional Scottish attire, mostly Highland regiments.

UK military or Government tartans

A number of tartans, worn by UK military units, are known as Government tartans, and are defined in a Standard currently maintained by

Defence Equipment and Support Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) is a trading entity and joint-defence organisation within the UK Ministry of Defence. It began operating on 2 April 2007, following the merger of the MoD's Defence Procurement Agency and the Defence Logistics ...

within the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...

. They are known by a number, a name, or both. The commonest are Government 1, Black Watch; Government 1A, a slightly lighter form of Black Watch worn by the

Royal Regiment of Scotland The Royal Regiment of Scotland is the senior and only Scottish line infantry regiment of the British Army Infantry. It consists of three regular (formerly five) and two reserve battalions, plus an incremental company, each formerly an indiv ...

; and Royal Stewart. The following list includes those Government tartans worn by UK military units as from the creation of the Royal Regiment of Scotland in 2006 onwards. Other units wear a named clan tartan without it being defined by this standard, e.g. 32nd (Scottish) Signal Regiment and the pipers of the

Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield commun ...

wear Grant, and the tartan of 154 (Scottish) Regiment Royal Logistics Corps is MacDuff. For the Royal Regiment of Scotland, the pipes and drums in each battalion wear the uniform of their antecedent regiment (as listed below) for ceremonial purposes, but the Regiment's standard Government 1A for non-ceremonial purposes. Note: 1 SCOTS Pipers and Drummers were disbanded in 2021.

Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared identity and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure recognised ...
tartans

The tartans in this list are those ascribed to particular clans of Scotland, including

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...

Lowland Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of p ...

, Isles, and

Borders A border is a geographical boundary. Border, borders, The Border or The Borders may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * ''Border'' (1997 film), an Indian Hindi-language war film * ''Border'' (2018 Swedish film), ...

clans. Their status varies widely;

armigerous clan An armigerous clan (from armiger) is a Scottish clan, family or name which is registered with the Court of the Lord Lyon and once had a chief who bore undifferenced arms, but does not have a chief currently recognised as such by Lyon Court. Befor ...

s generally accept them, while some have been officially adopted or rejected by a

clan chief The Scottish Gaelic word means children. In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (''ceannard c ...

Scottish non-clan family tartans

Tartans in this list are ascribed to specific families or surnames, though not to

Scottish clans A Scottish clan (from Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared identity and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure recogni ...

; they range in date from 21st century to considerably older.

Non-Scottish family tartans

These are (mostly modern) tartans created for families without a direct connection to Scotland.

Cornish

Organisational tartans

Tartans in this list are modern ones pertaining to particular commercial, non-profit, and military organisations.

Regional tartans

Tartans in these lists were created (mostly in modern times) for particular national and sub-national jurisdictions, most often officially, though with some exceptions.

Australia

Canada

Cornwall

United States

References

External links

Scottish Register of Tartans

Scottish Tartans Authority
- The only organisation dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Tartan
Scottish Tartans World Register

Scottish Kilts Collection

highland
{{fabric Tartans