The Origins of Tartan

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

"For the purposes of this Act, a tartan is a design which is capable of being woven consisting of two or more alternating coloured stripes which combine vertically and horizontally to form a repeated chequered pattern."

— Scottish Register of Tartans Act 2008, section 2¹

The Falkirk tartan — Scotland's oldest surviving check, 3rd century AD.

This is how the Scottish Parliament defined tartan when it set up the Scottish Register of Tartans. It is the end of a journey that begins in ancient Eurasia. This post follows that whole line: from the birth of weaving to its eventual flowering, much later, in Scotland into a joyful way of celebrating cultural and family identity.

Indo-European on Tartan Dictionary

The Origins of Tartan