What Makes a Tartan a Hunting Tartan? Who invented hunting tartans anyway?

The lads were asked "Why is red so dominant a color in non-hunting tartans?" But really the only way to answer correctly was to address where hunting tartans seem to have come from.
Red is in fact not the most prominent color. It is in the top three to five, but a casual look through the Tartan Gallery will show that blue and green are by far the most common tartan base colors. This is partly due to many older tartans being based on the Government Sett (Black Watch)
See our gallery:
www.usakilts.com/galleries
The lads explain how brighter colors came to be seen as somehow more "official" or "formal" while more subdued or drab combinations of colors came to be labeled as "hunting" long before the advent of modern color palette alternatives such as Muted tartans, Weathered tartans or Tweed Tartans. The secret answer = marketing.
Tartans in this video:
Rocky - Shaw Ancient
www.usakilts.com/gallery/13-1...
Erik: Tweed
www.usakilts.com/kilts-and-pa...
--------------------------------------------------
Started in 2003, USA Kilts is a team of kilt makers and artisans located in Spring City PA. In 2017, we made it our mission to build community and bring kilts and Celtic culture to the forefront with our YT show: Kilts & Culture.
www.USAKilts.com
Find Your Tartan!: www.usakilts.com/galleries
KZbin: / usakiltsofficial
Facebook: / usakilts
Instagram: / usakilts
E-mail: [e-mail]

[@stephensmith9756]

My favorite is Smith Ancient, beautiful rich colors. “I shine not burn”

[@patrickodonnell4109]

Good discussion. Personally, I lean toward the darker “hunting” palate, or tweeds.

[@PiperMcPhersonTheWren]

me too

[@inyobill]

In the case personally, I much prefer my family hunting pattern

[@zachpetersen2896]

Mine is the MacColl. Based of my families bloodline and namesake. We're direct blood of Clan Donald. I wear MacDonald of the Isles for less formal gatherings, but prefer to wear the MacColl Ancient vs the MacColl Modern since it's more red and less "Christmasy" as my wife calls it. Great videos and lots of information. Have a dram for me.

[@LiqdPT]

If I'm picking a Fraser tartan, I like Fraser Muted. However, we redid the interior of my wife's car (thanks for the fabric USA Kilts) with McLean Hunting Modern. Mostly because it matched her car (green and black). I wanted to do some accessories for my green cad with it because it's what Sean Connery wore.

[@thestupendouschumley]

Hey Cousin! Check my comment here that I gleaned from Uncle George Fraser.

[@here_we_go_again2571]

I imagine that long before the Industrial Revolution; most of the colors were rather muted when people wore the great kilts as everyday clothng. Natural dyes tend to be more muted than commercial dyes.

[@buffewo6386]

Just a thought... Red dye may have been more expensive, thus making those patterns a greater sign of wealth.

[@cameronsmith6755]

My favorite is the Hunting Stewart followed closely by the Smith Modern. Put them side by side and I think they are cousins.

[@richardrourke9278]

My favorite is County Leitrim. My family is from there..O'Rourke. Of course, you guys did great making my kilt with that plaid. Thanks again.

[@jasoncarman9108]

My favourite tartan has definitely evolved since I started wearing kilts daily at the beginning of 2019. If you had asked me then, my answer was hands down the Black Watch tartan. Now? Old Stewart. Really any of my Stewart kilts are my favourites for daily wear (I have a Royal, Black & Hunting in a casual kilt from USA Kilts). I was married (handfast, in a pagan ceremony officiated by a close friend) last year in my Old Stewart (modern) kilt.

[@thestupendouschumley]

I was told that hunting patterns identified you for permitted hunting on fellow Clan parcels of land (identification code). As for the Fraser Clan, the crimson red tartan ideally hid blood wounds incurred during battle as a psychological advantage over the enemy's perception of a weakened foe.

[@gryffydd42]

I like Polaris Military, and Mitchell best, both of which I have ties to. Mitchell is also sept of Innes. I don’t care for the main Innes - it’s a LOUD red/green tartan, but the Innes Hunter is very nice blue and green based.

[@benjaminchapman6786]

Would it be possible for you to identify the tartan you are wearing in the description - so good to hear it on the video today

[@NigelLucasMcBain]

I am a McBain, and our main tartan is on a red base, but very recently, this year, I believe, the Chief has had a new hunting tartan registered for us, which has a sort of (to my eye) olive green appearance.

[@eddhardy1054]

I love the Mackintosh tartan. It's fairy generic in appearance but on the plus side it is waterproof 😉😊

[@cherylcooper2739]

I have to go with my Clan, Fraser of Lovat. Love the red!

[@gaccount9931]

I always preferred McLeod hunting tartan over the loud yellow one 😅

[@dalekerr6161]

My favorite is the Kerr, but I'm biased. Kerr Hunting is also cool.

[@Trav_Can]

7:07 Exactly!

[@bruceburnett6834]

Being a Burnett my favorite is of course my Clan tartan but I prefer the Hunting version for daily 'going out' wear and the traditional full color tartan for more dress affairs. The Burnett tartan is more of an orange base with green, blue, and red pics.

[@david.leikam]

Just stocked up on my family Stewart tartans (Black, Dress, Hunting, Royal) and it's interesting that the Hunting Stewart tartan pattern is noticeability different than the other Stewart tartans. 🤔

[@christopherbonczewski6458]

I'm Clan Campbell so I am not exactly neutral but I find I prefer the darker pattern to the lighter ancient coloration.

[@david.leikam]

I’m sticking with my family tartans: Smith, Stewart, and Wallace.

[@colinp2238]

It seems instinctive that if they were designed for hunting that they would be predominately earthy coloured, to blend into the surroundings.

[@eddhardy1054]

I'm with you mate. I'm not an expert but since most 'hunting' tartans are in more subdued colours and dress tartans tend to be brighter I think maybe they were ment to make stalking beasties easier 🤔

[@eighties73]

Gotta go with my clan tartan of Anderson as my favorite. I also like the one often referred to as the "Hunting" version unfortunately it is just a different branch of the family from Kinnedar and from what I was told a "by permission only" tartan. personally I would think that the designer would be flattered if other members of the clan wanted a kilt made in it but...

[@msrc234]

where did you purchase and how did you hang your broadswords and targe over the fireplace?

[@la_old_salt2241]

I like my Pollock Tartan. It's based on the Maxwell hunting Tartan as we Pollocks were a sept of Clan Maxwell. Though we have our own stand-alone Clan Pollock now, we still recognize and respect our ties to Clan Maxwell.

[@MegaJfraz]

My favourite tartan is my Family Tartan the Fraser of Lovat Tartan and the one I have seen does have a red base

[@timothysmith6211]

So I have heard on multiple videos about all differrent tartans, weathered, ancient etc. Nobody ever has addressed what is a Dress tartan?? Is this supposed to be used only for dresses? Is it meant to be only for a formal setting? I dont get it.

[@straycat1674]

I’ve always been drawn to greens and blues myself. But I do like some red ones.

[@syx9986]

As a Robertson, I have always wondered why our tartans came in a red base for the historical and modern styles but also a green hunting version. It gets confusing and I'm never sure if there's any proper time or place for a specific style.

[@mingrui1862]

Will always love the Mackenzie tartan as well as its weathered variant.

[@joewoods2155]

Some of the natural colours the clans used when making there tartans came from the nature around them . The clans men would camouflage themselves with these tartans and it was very affective like modern day snipers you could hardly see them there is some videos of this on KZbin with guys showing all the different things the kilts where used for

[@grioghairmacgrioghair5311]

yep but as always someone has to talk a load of bullshit to jerk it up hunting tartans were for basically camoflauge when hunting???

[@roderickfraser9788]

Fraser (red) is my favorite

[@Granof2]

McLean... as it's my Mothers Clan... I love both all the McLean Tartans.

[@morganmorris97]

Stewart us a very common red based tartan. McCulloch, my clan, also has an equal amount of red and green.

[@danielrickel8807]

I’m definitely biased(family blood lines) but my favorite is the Henderson ancient.

[@craigmccall7450]

McCall! Let's go!

[@sethirwin1610]

Favorite Irwin Ancient

[@whiskeyvictor5703]

I prefer the Zelig tartan: it changes depending on whom I'm standing next to! 😄

[@CplDiesel]

I'm partial to Mackay, but I'm biased

[@kennethslayor8177]

My favorite tartan is the Missouri Show Me.

[@nq6417]

Spirit of Australia, hands down the best.

[@Reject_Modernity-qj4gl]

This doesn't pertain to the video per se, but would you guys consider another channel for a KZbin series called "A Day in the Life of the Serial Kilter?" Compilations or submissions of videos from us, vetted by you guys then posted to your channel, of us Serial Kilters going about our day while wearing kilts....

[@DarkTypeWriter]

Well, at least it wasn't like marketing in the 80s where everything was Turbo or Ninja.

[@johnbyington3458]

Weathered MacKenzie

[@jeffreylee8326]

Here you go…MacPherson “hunting” tartan predates the MacPherson red tartan. The hunting was based off a fragment in the possession of Cluny pre 1715. (I know you guys consider it ugly, but it does represent one of the oldest accurate family tartans.)

[@rogercowen1491]

Murray of Athol

[@athollmoray]

The Atholl tartan is absolutely one of my favorites.... I have an eight yard kilt (I got from USA Kilts) pleated to the stripe. I love how it shimmers the red across the back when I walk in the sunlight... it is very unique.

[@rogercowen1491]

That was my first Kilt my mother got me when I was 6 from the local Kilt maker back in Peebles

[@madisennicolekirkpatrick5964]

Macgregor hunting ancient and macpherson hunting ancient

[@katherinegallagher9081]

What Makes a " Hunting" Tartan: Some are for Stealth ( dark/ tweed) Some are for Show ( bright) ALL are for Being Respectful to People/ Animals, Environment, and Law

[@alanmackinnon3516]

I much prefer the MacKinnon Hunting to the Dress one.

[@omendevylkatt]

shadow tartan and gel

[@ianmckee_84]

Clan MacKay ✋

[@relicpathfinder2800]

My favorite tartan. The kilts and culture tartan. Not just...not JUST...because I'm trying to kiss some ass. But in my area, it's among the best camouflaged tartan available, I do a fair amount of outdoors things. My area lots of gray limestone rocks/cliffs and gray barked trees. Unlike Clan Scott, it's universal, so not clan aligned (my family name has no clan tartan associated with it). Unlike Irish Tartans, it comes in PV. Unlike my Outlander tartan / kilt, it's more affordable.

[@smittywurban4485]

Macdonald isles ancient hunting tartan

[@leenewsom7517]

Just look at the wall behind you-- percent red

[@thevelointhevale1132]

There really is a lot of nonsense and myth circulating around Tartans ... several of my Fife Ancestors ( Great Grandfathers ) in the 1600's - 1800's were Weavers. I can tell you that the notions of Hunting are modern "Trade" terms that offer points of difference for selling more cloth! Hunting if anything presents a more muted Tartan said to blend in with the land ... as opposed to a bright "dress" Tartan worn for show. You might also think of Hunting as a day wear kind of Tartan. Historically there was no such thing as "Hunting" Tartan etc. The only people wearing matching Tartan during the Jacobite Uprisings were the Government Soldiers! The Clans of the Jacobite cause were noted to all be wearing mixed Tartans ... mismatched and literally just variations of what they owned and had already purchased from their local Weavers or Mills.

[@darcybissonpullen7125]

Red is that not the McMillan on with red lol

[@magnusosmond1835]

They didn't point out some times red means your catholic and blue is Protestant that's they the Stuart is red

[@johnnyjet3.1412]

All tartans of my 3 clans have serious RED, the. only way for me to not wear RED is hunting tartan.

[@johnorr8094]

Clan tartans: Campbell and MacGregor. Universal tartans: Ulster and, as yet to be produced, Brothers and Sisters of Paramedicine SRT 12911. Sorry, shameless plug.

[@OuilmaEnyaGypsey]

Camouflage

[@darcybissonpullen7125]

Some hunting ones were war ones

[@sethirwin1610]

Excellent !! Now 😊 how about Buffalo Plaid? Red/black Buffalo Plaid hunting tartan??😊😊😂😂😂 Hmmm, …. shotgun shells hanging on the sporran! 😂😂😂😂😂

[@halbarbour7340]

So "weathered" is another way to say hunting?

[@w.reidripley1968]

Just that the colors are less saturated, thus muted and more subtle. Now, a difference between Weathered and Ancient might require close attention to distinguish. Or might not at all, if the Ancient is a different sett.

[@redscale82]

To be honest I prefer earth coloured tartans.

[@captainpanda5533]

Because red dye was cheap. It's the same reason the British Army used red for their uniforms.