Scottish Clans and Their Tartans: The Complete Guide to 150 Clan Tartan Kilts
Share
Introduction: Why Scottish Clans and Tartan Kilts Still Matter Today
There is something genuinely powerful about draping yourself in a tartan kilt. It is not just fabric. It is a living connection to hundreds of years of Scottish history, loyalty, battles, bloodlines and pride. And here in America,that connection runs deeper than most people realize.
Over 33 million Americans claim Scottish or Scots-Irish ancestry, making Scotland one of the most celebrated heritage cultures in the United States. Every year, Highland Games pop up from California to North Carolina.Families gather to honor their roots at Scottish festivals. And more and more Americans are turning to the one symbol that ties it all together: the clan tartan kilt.
But here is the thing. Not all tartans are the same. Each Scottish clan has its own tartan, which is a unique woven pattern of colors called a sett, that identifies that family line. Wearing the tartan of your clan is not just a fashion choice. It is a statement of who you are and where you come from.
In this guide, we have compiled the 150 most famous Scottish clans, their tartan names, signature colors, clan mottos and a brief history of each. Whether you are shopping for your first clan tartan kilt or just want to trace your Scottish roots, you are in the right place.
A Brief History of Scottish Tartans
The Origins of Tartan
Tartan fabric has been woven in Scotland since at least the 16th century. The earliest known piece, the Falkirk Tartan, actually dates back to around 250 AD. Early tartans were not clan symbols at all. They were regional patterns that reflected whatever natural dyes were available nearby. Woad produced blue, bracken and heather gave yellow and brown, and lichen created soft reds. It was not until the 18th and 19th centuries that tartans became strongly associated with specific family clans.
The Dress Act of 1746: When Tartan Was Banned
After the catastrophic Battle of Culloden in 1746, where Bonnie Prince Charlie's Jacobite uprising was crushed by the British Crown, the Westminster government passed the Dress Act (also called the Proscription Act). This law banned the wearing of Highland dress, including the belted plaid and tartan, for all men and boys in Scotland, with the exception of military use. The ban lasted 36 years, until 1782. During those decades, wearing a tartan was an act of quiet defiance and cultural resistance. Families kept their patterns alive in secret, passing them down through memory rather than thread.
The Highland Revival and King George IV's 1822 Visit
When King George IV visited Edinburgh in 1822, the first British monarch to visit Scotland in nearly 200 years, everything changed. The visit was organized largely by the novelist Sir Walter Scott and turned into a spectacular Highland pageant. The king himself wore a kilt, and suddenly tartan was not just acceptable but fashionable. Clan chiefs scrambled to register and formalize their tartans, and the idea of each family having a specific, unique pattern became standardized almost overnight. Many of the tartans you see today were formally registered or created during this early 19th-century Highland Revival.
The Scottish Register of Tartans
Today the Scottish Register of Tartans, maintained by the National Records of Scotland, catalogs over 7,000 registered tartans. These include clan tartans, district tartans, military tartans, corporate tartans and commemorative tartans. New ones are added every single year. If your family has Scottish roots, there is a very good chance a tartan exists for your surname.
Tartan vs. Plaid: What Is the Difference?
This one trips up a lot of Americans, and understandably so. In Scotland, tartan refers to a specific woven pattern of crossing horizontal and vertical colored bands. Plaid (pronounced 'plad' in Scotland) originally referred to a large piece of woolen cloth that Highlanders would wrap around their bodies. In American English, 'plaid' has come to mean any checked or crosshatch fabric pattern. Technically though, a tartan is a specific type of plaid with a defined, registered color sequence. Think of it this way: all tartans are plaid, but not all plaids are tartans.
How to Read a Tartan
Every tartan follows a repeating color sequence called a sett, which is the exact thread count and color order that defines the pattern. When woven at right angles, this creates the distinctive crisscross look. Two tartans can share the same colors but be completely different patterns depending on their sett.
Types of Tartans
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Modern | Bright, vivid colors using synthetic dyes (post-1860s) |
| Ancient | Softer, faded look replicating pre-1860 natural dyes |
| Hunting | Muted greens and browns, designed for outdoor use |
| Dress | White or light background, worn at formal occasions |
| Weathered | Warm, tawny tones simulating aged, sun-faded fabric |
| Muted | A middle ground between Ancient and Modern styles |
Most clans have at least a Modern and Ancient version of their tartan. Larger clans like MacDonald or Stewart may have five to eight different variations. When ordering a kilt, you can usually choose which version speaks to you most.
The 150 Famous Scottish Clans and Their Tartan Kilts
Below is a detailed breakdown of 150 famous Scottish clans. Each entry covers the tartan name, key colors, clan motto and a brief history. Use this as your go-to reference guide whether you are researching your heritage or shopping for an authentic kilt.
Scottish Clans Starting with A
1. Clan Anderson
Tartan: Anderson
Colors: Red, navy blue, green, yellow
Motto: Stand Sure
One of Scotland's oldest clans, the Andersons are traditionally associated with the Scottish Lowlands and take their name from 'son of Andrew,' St. Andrew being Scotland's patron saint. The clan has a strong presence in Perthshire and Aberdeenshire and produced many notable figures across the centuries.
2. Clan Armstrong
Tartan: Armstrong
Colors: Green, navy, red, yellow
Motto: Invictus maneo (I remain unvanquished)
The Armstrongs were a fierce Border clan based in the Scottish-English borderlands of Liddesdale. At their peak in the 16th century the clan could muster 3,000 armed horsemen. Perhaps their most famous descendant is Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.
3. Clan Arbuthnott
Tartan: Arbuthnott
Colors: Dark green, navy, red
Motto: Laus Deo (Praise be to God)
An ancient Kincardineshire clan, the Arbuthnott family has held the lands of Arbuthnott since the 12th century. Arbuthnott House is one of Scotland's oldest continuously occupied family homes and still stands today as a testament to the clan's enduring legacy.
4. Clan Agnew
Tartan: Agnew
Colors: Dark blue, green, red, white
Motto: Consilio non impetu (By wisdom, not by force)
The Agnews were hereditary sheriffs of Galloway for nearly 300 years. Their stronghold was Lochnaw Castle in Wigtownshire. The clan has Norman origins and arrived in Scotland during the 12th century, quickly establishing themselves as a respected legal and military family.
Scottish Clans Starting with B
5. Clan Barclay
Tartan: Barclay
Colors: Bright yellow, black
Motto: Aut agere aut mori (Either action or death)
The striking yellow-and-black Barclay tartan is one of the most recognizable in all of Scotland.The Barclays are of Norman descent and settled in Scotland after the 11th century. Field Marshal Prince Barclay de Tolly of Russia, one of Napoleon's most formidable opponents, traced his roots to this clan.
6. Clan Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)
Tartan: Government Tartan (Black Watch)
Colors: Navy blue, forest green, black
Motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (No one provokes me with impunity)
The Black Watch tartan is arguably the most famous tartan in the world. Originating as the government-issued tartan for Highland regiments in the 1740s, it became the basis for many other clan tartans. The Black Watch regiment served in conflicts from Fontenoy in 1745 all the way to Afghanistan. Because it was the official government tartan, any Scot could wear it, and it remains universally accepted today.
Shop Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) Tartan Kilt
7. Clan Bruce
Tartan: Bruce
Colors: Yellow, black, red
Motto: Fuimus (We have been)
Perhaps the most storied name in Scottish history. Robert the Bruce became King of Scotland in 1306 and led his country to independence at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. The Bruce clan is of Norman origin, descended from the de Brus family of Normandy, and their legacy shaped the Scottish nation as we know it.
8. Clan Buchanan
Tartan: Buchanan
Colors: Yellow, red, green, white
Motto: Clarior hinc honos (Brighter hence the honour)
The Buchanan clan held lands on the eastern shores of Loch Lomond for generations. Their bold yellow-heavy tartan is instantly recognizable at any Highland gathering. American president James Buchanan, the 15th president of the United States, traced his ancestry to this very clan.
9. Clan Baird
Tartan: Baird
Colors: Red, green, navy, white
Motto: Dominus fecit (The Lord made)
The Bairds were a powerful Lanarkshire family whose name derives from the Gaelic word 'bard,' meaning poet. Television pioneer John Logie Baird, inventor of the television, was the clan's most celebrated modern descendant, though the family's roots in Scottish culture go back much further.
Scottish Clans Starting with C
10. Clan Cameron
Tartan: Cameron of Erracht
Colors: Red, yellow, dark green
Motto: Aonaibh ri cheile (Unite)
The Camerons of Lochaber were among the most loyal Jacobite clans in all of Scotland. Their chief, Donald Cameron of Lochiel, was Bonnie Prince Charlie's most trusted commander. The Cameron Highlanders regiment carried on the clan's proud martial tradition for centuries after Culloden.
11. Clan Campbell
Tartan: Campbell
Colors: Dark navy blue, forest green, black
Motto: Ne obliviscaris (Forget not)
One of the largest and most powerful clans in Scottish history. The Campbells of Argyll dominated western Scotland for centuries and were largely loyal to the Crown, which made them bitter rivals of the MacDonalds. The Glencoe Massacre of 1692, in which Campbell soldiers killed MacDonalds in their sleep during a winter storm, remains one of Scotland's darkest historical events.
12. Clan Carnegie
Tartan: Carnegie
Colors: Red, green, navy, yellow
Motto: Dread God
The Carnegies are an ancient Angus family whose most famous scion is Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish-American steel magnate and philanthropist. Carnegie became one of the richest men in American history and donated over 350 million dollars to public causes, including 2,500 public libraries worldwide. His story is one of the great immigrant success stories tied to Scottish heritage.
13. Clan Chisholm
Tartan: Chisholm
Colors: Red, green, navy, white stripes
Motto: Feros ferio (I am fierce with the fierce)
The Chisholms held Strathglass in the Scottish Highlands for centuries. They were ardent Jacobite supporters and suffered greatly after Culloden. The clan's piping tradition is especially celebrated, and their tartan's bold red and white stripes make it one of the more distinctive Highland patterns.
14. Clan Colquhoun
Tartan: Colquhoun
Colors: Blue, green, red, white
Motto: Si je puis (If I can)
Based on the western shores of Loch Lomond, the Colquhouns were frequently in conflict with the MacGregors. The Battle of Glen Fruin in 1603, where MacGregors massacred Colquhouns, led directly to the proscription of the MacGregor name by King James VI. It is one of the most dramatic clan conflicts in Scottish history.
15. Clan Cumming
Tartan: Cumming
Colors: Green, red, dark blue, yellow
Motto: Courage
The Cummings, also spelled Comyn, were once the most powerful family in Scotland, until Robert the Bruce stabbed the Red Comyn in a Dumfries church in 1306, igniting his war for the Scottish throne. The clan never fully recovered their political position after Bannockburn, though branches of the family survived and continue to this day.
Scottish Clans Starting with D
16. Clan Davidson
Tartan: Davidson
Colors: Dark green, navy, red, black
Motto: Wisely if sincerely
A member clan of the Clan Chattan confederation, the Davidsons are one of the oldest clans of Badenoch. They participated in the famous Battle of the Clans in 1396, a judicial combat held on the North Inch of Perth before King Robert III. It was essentially a sanctioned clan fight to settle a long-running dispute once and for all.
17. Clan Douglas
Tartan: Douglas
Colors: Dark green, navy, black, red
Motto: Jamais arriere (Never behind)
The Douglases were among the mightiest noble families in medieval Scotland. Known as the Black Douglases and Red Douglases, they rivaled and at times even eclipsed the power of Scottish kings themselves. James Douglas, known as the Good Sir James, carried Robert the Bruce's embalmed heart on crusade after the king's death, fulfilling a royal dying wish.
18. Clan Drummond
Tartan: Drummond
Colors: Red, yellow, dark blue, green
Motto: Gang warily (Go carefully)
The Drummond clan has one of Scotland's most dramatic crest images, a hand holding a serpent. They held great influence in Perthshire for centuries. Annabella Drummond, wife of King Robert III, was one of Scotland's most beloved and diplomatically skilled medieval queens.
19. Clan Duncan
Tartan: Duncan
Colors: Red, green, navy, white
Motto: Learn to suffer
The Duncan clan descends from the ancient mormaers of Atholl. King Duncan I of Scotland, immortalized in Shakespeare's Macbeth, is traditionally associated with this family line. The clan is widespread across central Scotland and has produced many notable figures across both Scottish and American history.
Scottish Clans Starting with E and F
20. Clan Elliot
Tartan: Elliot
Colors: Green, blue, red, black
Motto: Fortiter et recte (Boldly and rightly)
The Elliots were a powerful Border clan known for reiving, the raiding of livestock across the Scottish-English border. The family produced many colorful characters, including the swashbuckling Little Jock Elliot who famously wounded the Earl of Bothwell in a duel and escaped to tell the tale.
21. Clan Erskine
Tartan: Erskine
Colors: Red, black, green, white
Motto: Je pense plus (I think more)
The Erskines were hereditary guardians of the young Scottish kings and held the earldom of Mar. The Earl of Mar was one of the leaders of the Jacobite rising of 1715, raising the Jacobite standard at Braemar. Despite their defeat, the Erskine legacy in Scottish political history is undeniable.
22. Clan Farquharson
Tartan: Farquharson
Colors: Red, dark green, navy, white
Motto: Fide et fortitudine (By fidelity and fortitude)
A Deeside clan of Aberdeenshire, the Farquharsons were staunch Jacobites who paid dearly for their loyalty after Culloden. Their colonel Finla Mor Farquharson carried the royal standard at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in 1547. The clan is part of the Clan Chattan confederation.
23. Clan Ferguson
Tartan: Ferguson
Colors: Dark green, navy, red, white
Motto: Dulcius ex asperis (Sweeter after difficulties)
The Fergusons trace their origins to the ancient kings of Galloway. Several distinct branches exist across Scotland. The American town of Ferguson, Missouri, was named after a descendant of this clan, showing just how deeply Scottish heritage is woven into American place names.
24. Clan Forbes
Tartan: Forbes
Colors: Red, dark green, white, black
Motto: Grace me guide
The Forbes clan held vast lands in Aberdeenshire and were long-standing rivals of the Gordons. Their territory disputes were legendary in the northeast Highlands. Malcolm Forbes, the American publishing magnate, and Steve Forbes, the media mogul and presidential candidate, both descend from this great Scottish clan.
25. Clan Fraser
Tartan: Fraser
Colors: Red, white, dark blue
Motto: Je suis prest (I am ready)
One of Scotland's most romanticized clan names. Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, was the last man publicly beheaded in Britain in 1747 for his role in the Jacobite rising. The Frasers were fierce Jacobite supporters through and through. More recently, the fictional Jamie Fraser of the hit TV series Outlander has brought enormous global attention to this already-famous clan.
Scottish Clans Starting with G
26. Clan Galbraith
Tartan: Galbraith
Colors: Red, green, navy, yellow
Motto: Ab obice suavior (Sweeter from resistance)
The Galbraiths held lands on the banks of Loch Lomond and were a notable Lennox family. American economist John Kenneth Galbraith and Canadian politician John Galbraith both descend from this clan, carrying the Scottish intellectual tradition into North American public life.
27. Clan Gordon
Tartan: Gordon
Colors: Dark green, yellow, navy, black
Motto: Bydand (Remaining and Steadfast)
The mighty Gordons dominated northeastern Scotland for centuries. Known as the Cock of the North, they held the earldom and later the dukedom of Gordon. The Gordon Highlanders regiment, raised in 1794, was one of Britain's most celebrated military units and served with distinction in conflicts across the globe for nearly two centuries.
28. Clan Graham
Tartan: Graham of Menteith
Colors: Red, dark green, navy, yellow
Motto: Ne oublie (Do not forget)
The Grahams produced extraordinary military leaders. James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, was one of the greatest commanders in 17th-century British history, winning battle after battle with inferior forces. John Graham of Claverhouse, known as Bonnie Dundee, died at the Jacobite victory at Killiecrankie in 1689, a hero to Highlanders and a villain to the Lowland government.
29. Clan Grant
Tartan: Grant
Colors: Red, green, navy
Motto: Stand fast
One of the great Highland clans, the Grants held the valley of Strathspey for centuries. Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States and celebrated Civil War general, was of Grant clan descent. His family emigrated from Scotland generations before his birth, carrying that Highland stubbornness with them across the Atlantic.
30. Clan Gunn
Tartan: Gunn
Colors: Orange, dark green, navy, red
Motto: Aut pax aut bellum (Either peace or war)
The Gunns were a fierce Norse-Gaelic clan of Caithness and Sutherland, descended directly from Viking settlers who put down roots in Scotland's far north. Their long-running feud with the Keiths lasted for generations and became one of the great clan rivalries of the northern Highlands. The Gunn tartan's unusual orange tones make it instantly distinctive.
Scottish Clans Starting with H and I
31. Clan Hamilton
Tartan: Hamilton
Colors: Red, green, dark blue, white
Motto: Through
One of Scotland's most powerful noble families, the Hamiltons were dangerously close to the Scottish throne on several occasions. Alexander Hamilton, America's first Treasury Secretary and the star of the worldwide hit Broadway musical, descended from the Hamilton clan of Ayrshire. His face on the ten-dollar bill is a nod to this Scottish lineage.
32. Clan Hay
Tartan: Hay
Colors: Red, green, dark blue, yellow
Motto: Serva jugum (Keep the yoke)
The Hays are one of Scotland's oldest families, claiming descent from a 9th-century hero who rallied Scots at the Battle of Luncarty by using a plough yoke as a weapon. The Earls of Erroll from the Hay family hold the hereditary title of Lord High Constable of Scotland, one of the most ancient ceremonial offices in the kingdom.
33. Clan Henderson
Tartan: Henderson
Colors: Red, dark green, navy, yellow
Motto: Sola virtus nobilitat (Virtue alone ennobles)
The Hendersons are associated with Glencoe and Caithness and are often considered a sept of Clan Gunn. Jimi Hendrix, born Johnny Allen Hendrix, is said to have Scottish Henderson heritage on his father's side, which would make his electrifying guitar work a distant echo of Highland fire.
34. Clan Home (Hume)
Tartan: Home
Colors: Dark green, navy, red, white
Motto: A Home, A Home, A Home
The Homes were a powerful Border family holding lands around Berwickshire for centuries. Sir Alec Douglas-Home served as British Prime Minister from 1963 to 1964 and was the last peer to hold that office, carrying the clan's long tradition of political influence right into the modern era.
35. Clan Innes
Tartan: Innes
Colors: Red, green, navy, white
Motto: Be traist (Be faithful)
The Innes clan held lands in Moray from the 12th century and bore the title Innes of that Ilk. The clan has numerous American descendants, particularly in the southern United States, where Scottish settlers put down deep roots during the colonial period and beyond.
Scottish Clans Starting with J and K
36. Clan Johnston(e)
Tartan: Johnston
Colors: Dark green, blue, red, black
Motto: Light from darkness
The Johnstons were a major Border clan of Annandale and fierce rivals of the Maxwells. Their feuds were legendary for their violence and duration. Andrew Johnson, the 17th U.S. President, and Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th, both had Johnston clan connections, making this one of the most presidentially represented Scottish families in American history.
37. Clan Keith
Tartan: Keith
Colors: Red, dark green, black, white
Motto: Veritas vincit (Truth conquers)
The Keiths were hereditary Marischals of Scotland, the second most powerful military office in the kingdom. They commanded the Scottish cavalry at Bannockburn in 1314. George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal, co-founded the University of Aberdeen in 1593, leaving a permanent mark on Scottish education and culture.
38. Clan Kennedy
Tartan: Kennedy
Colors: Dark green, navy, red, yellow
Motto: Avise la fin (Consider the end)
The Kennedys were the dominant clan of Carrick in Ayrshire with their stronghold at Dunure Castle. U.S. President John F. Kennedy was of Irish and Scots descent, with Scottish Kennedy roots tracing back to Ayrshire. The clan's motto, 'Consider the End,' is a piece of advice that would have served many of their historical leaders well.
39. Clan Kerr
Tartan: Kerr
Colors: Dark green, navy, red, white
Motto: Sero sed serio (Late but in earnest)
The Kerrs were a powerful Border clan who held Ferniehirst and Cessford Castles. Uniquely, many Kerrs were left-handed, and Ferniehirst Castle was reportedly designed with staircases spiraling counter-clockwise to give left-handed swordsmen a combat advantage over attackers. It is one of the most fascinating pieces of architectural clan lore in Scotland.
Scottish Clans Starting with L
40. Clan Lamont
Tartan: Lamont
Colors: Dark green, navy, red, white
Motto: Ne parcas nec spernas (Neither spare nor despise)
The Lamonts of Cowal were one of the most ancient clans of the western Highlands. The Dunoon Massacre of 1646, in which the Campbells killed over 200 Lamonts in cold blood, is one of the most tragic episodes in all of clan history. The grief of that event still echoes in the stories passed down through Lamont families today.
41. Clan Leslie
Tartan: Leslie
Colors: Red, green, dark blue, yellow
Motto: Grip fast
The Leslies held lands in Aberdeenshire from the 11th century. Field Marshal Alexander Leslie led the Covenanting Army with great skill during the Bishops' Wars of 1639 to 1640. The clan motto 'Grip Fast' reportedly came from a king whose drowning Leslie personally rescued, shouting those exact words as he grabbed the king's arm.
42. Clan Lindsay
Tartan: Lindsay
Colors: Red, dark green, navy, white
Motto: Endure fort (Endure boldly)
The Lindsays were one of Scotland's great Anglo-Norman families and became Earls of Crawford, known as the Light of Lindsay. The 4th Earl was called 'the Tiger Earl' for his notoriously violent temper and his willingness to use force to settle any dispute, regardless of rank or consequence.
43. Clan Logan
Tartan: Logan
Colors: Red, dark green, navy, white
Motto: Hoc majorum virtus (This is the virtue of my ancestors)
The Logans held lands in Easter Ross and Berwickshire. The last Logan chief died at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488, fighting for the losing side. The clan has strong Gaelic roots connecting them to pre-Norman Scotland, and their tartan reflects that ancient Highland character.
Scottish Clans Starting with M: The Great Mac Clans
44. Clan MacAlister
Tartan: MacAlister
Colors: Dark green, navy, red, white
Motto: Forta et fidele (Brave and faithful)
A branch of the great Clan Donald, the MacAlisters take their name from Alasdair Mor, great-grandson of Somhairle (Somerled). They held lands in Kintyre and were hereditary constables of Tarbert Castle, a strategic fortification guarding the sea routes between the Hebrides and the Scottish mainland.
45. Clan MacBean (MacBain)
Tartan: MacBean
Colors: Dark green, red, navy, yellow
Motto: Touch not the cat bot a glove
Part of Clan Chattan, the MacBeans were renowned fighters. At the Battle of Culloden, Gillies MacBean reportedly held a gap in a wall alone against the advancing redcoats, killing 13 soldiers before falling. It is one of the most heroic last stands in Scottish military history and the stuff of legend among Highland families.
Shop MacBean (MacBain) Tartan Kilt
46. Clan MacDonald (Lord of the Isles)
Tartan: MacDonald of the Isles
Colors: Dark green, navy, red, white
Motto: By sea and by land
The MacDonalds, descendants of Somerled King of the Isles, were once Scotland's most powerful clan. They controlled the entire western seaboard and their title Lord of the Isles was one of the most prestigious in Scotland. The bitter Campbell-MacDonald feud, culminating in the Glencoe Massacre of 1692, is one of the most legendary rivalries in clan history.
Shop MacDonald (Lord of the Isles) Tartan Kilt
47. Clan MacDougall
Tartan: MacDougall
Colors: Dark green, navy, red, white stripes
Motto: Buaidh no bas (Victory or death)
Like the MacDonalds, the MacDougalls descend from Somerled. They controlled the strategic Pass of Brander and were initially enemies of Robert the Bruce. Their most treasured relic, the Brooch of Lorne, was allegedly captured from Bruce himself during a skirmish and is still held by the clan chief to this day.
48. Clan MacDuff
Tartan: MacDuff
Colors: Red, yellow, dark green
Motto: Deus juvat (God assists)
The MacDuffs were the most prestigious of all Scottish clan chiefs. As Earls of Fife, they held the ancient privilege of crowning Scottish kings at Scone. Shakespeare's character Macduff in Macbeth is based on this clan, bringing their name to stages and classrooms around the world for centuries.
49. Clan MacFarlane
Tartan: MacFarlane
Colors: Black, white, red
Motto: This I'll defend
The MacFarlanes held the western shores of Loch Lomond and were notorious for night raiding. Their nocturnal habits were so well known that the full moon in Gaelic was nicknamed 'MacFarlane's Lantern.' They were ardent Jacobite supporters and fiercely independent even by Highland standards.
50. Clan MacGregor
Tartan: MacGregor / Rob Roy
Colors: Red, dark green, black
Motto: My race is royal
One of Scotland's most romanticized clans. The MacGregors were outlawed and proscribed by King James VI in 1603 after the Glen Fruin massacre. Their very name was banned, and members had to take other surnames to survive. Rob Roy MacGregor, the Scottish folk hero and outlaw, has become the most famous clansman in popular culture worldwide.
51. Clan Mackintosh
Tartan: Mackintosh
Colors: Red, dark green, white
Motto: Touch not the cat bot a glove
Chiefs of the Clan Chattan confederation, the Mackintoshes held Inverness-shire for centuries. Their clan badge, a wildcat, represents fierce independence perfectly. After Culloden, their chief Aeneas Mackintosh had fought for the Crown while his wife, Lady Anne Mackintosh, known as Colonel Anne, commanded Jacobite troops in his absence. It was that kind of clan.
52. Clan MacIntyre
Tartan: MacIntyre
Colors: Dark green, red, navy, white
Motto: Per ardua (Through difficulties)
The MacIntyres held lands in Glenorchy and served as hereditary pipers to the MacDonald Lords of the Isles. Their Gaelic name, Mac an t-saoir, means son of the carpenter. The clan has one of the longest unbroken piping traditions in all of Scotland, a musical heritage that continues to this day.
53. Clan MacKay
Tartan: MacKay
Colors: Dark green, navy, red, white
Motto: With a strong hand
Lords of Strathnaver in the far north of Scotland, the MacKays were one of the most powerful clans in Sutherland and Caithness. At their peak they could field an army of 4,000 men. Hugh MacKay of Scourie commanded William III's forces at the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689, though he was defeated that day by the Jacobite charge.
54. Clan MacKenzie
Tartan: MacKenzie
Colors: Dark green, red, dark blue, white
Motto: Luceo non uro (I shine, not burn)
The MacKenzies rose to dominate Ross-shire and were at times the most powerful clan in northern Scotland. Their stronghold was Eilean Donan Castle, now one of Scotland's most photographed landmarks. The castle's dramatic setting on a loch where three sea lochs meet makes it the image most people think of when they picture the Highlands.
55. Clan MacKinnon
Tartan: MacKinnon
Colors: Dark green, blue, red, yellow
Motto: Audentes fortuna juvat (Fortune favors the brave)
An ancient Hebridean clan, the MacKinnons held lands on Skye and Mull and served as keepers of St. Columba's staff, a holy relic of enormous importance. After Culloden, a MacKinnon chief personally helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape to the Isle of Skye, risking everything for a cause already lost.
56. Clan MacLachlan
Tartan: MacLachlan
Colors: Dark green, navy, red, yellow
Motto: Fortis et fidus (Brave and faithful)
The MacLachlans of Cowal held Castle Lachlan on the shores of Loch Fyne. They were loyal Jacobites and their chief was killed at Culloden. The clan traces its descent from the Irish high kings through Lachlan Mor, carrying one of the oldest bloodlines in all of Scotland's western clans.
57. Clan MacLaren
Tartan: MacLaren
Colors: Red, dark green, navy, white
Motto: Creag an Tuirc (The boar's rock)
The MacLarens claim descent from Lorn, son of Erc, among the original Dal Riata Scots who crossed from Ireland. They held lands in Balquhidder, the same glen where Rob Roy MacGregor is buried. Standing at Rob Roy's grave surrounded by MacLaren country gives you a powerful sense of how intertwined these Highland clans truly were.
58. Clan MacLean
Tartan: MacLean of Duart
Colors: Red, black, dark green, white
Motto: Virtue mine honour
The MacLeans of Duart were Lords of Mull and fierce warriors by reputation. Their castle, Duart Castle, still stands on the Isle of Mull and is open to visitors today. Sir Hector Mor MacLean led 800 MacLeans to fight for Mary Queen of Scots at the Battle of Langside in 1568, showing the clan's traditional loyalty to the Scottish royal line.
59. Clan MacLeod
Tartan: MacLeod of MacLeod
Colors: Bright yellow, black
Motto: Hold fast
The MacLeods of Dunvegan hold their ancient seat at Dunvegan Castle on Skye, the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland. The clan's most prized possession is the Fairy Flag, a tattered silk banner said to have magical properties that can save the clan in its darkest hour. Their vibrant yellow and black tartan is one of the most recognizable in the entire world.
60. Clan MacMillan
Tartan: MacMillan
Colors: Red, dark green, black, yellow
Motto: Miseris succurrere disco (I learn to succour the distressed)
The MacMillans claim descent from a 9th-century religious figure and held lands on Loch Tayside and in Galloway. Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, the 1st Earl of Stockton, descended from a branch of this clan. His famous 'wind of change' speech in 1960 signaled the end of the British Empire, though his Scottish roots were always a part of his identity.
61. Clan MacNab
Tartan: MacNab
Colors: Red, dark green, black, yellow
Motto: Timor omnis abesto (Let all fear be absent)
The MacNabs of Killin held lands on Loch Tay for centuries. Their fierce chief Francis MacNab was immortalized in an 1816 portrait by Sir Henry Raeburn, one of Scotland's most iconic paintings. The portrait shows a man who looks like he has absolutely zero patience for anyone's nonsense.
62. Clan MacNaughton
Tartan: MacNaughton
Colors: Dark green, red, navy, white
Motto: I hope in God
An ancient clan of Argyll, the MacNaughtons held Fraoch Eilean Castle on Loch Awe. They are considered among the oldest native Highland clans and claim descent from the ancient Pictish royal line, giving them one of the deepest roots of any Scottish family.
63. Clan MacNeil (MacNeill)
Tartan: MacNeil of Barra
Colors: Dark green, navy, red, white
Motto: Buaidh no bas (Victory or death)
The MacNeils of Barra held the magnificent Kisimul Castle in Castlebay Harbor on the Isle of Barra. According to legend, the MacNeil herald would announce each evening from the battlements: 'The MacNeil of Barra has dined. The kings and princes of the earth may now dine.' It tells you everything you need to know about this clan's self-regard.
Shop MacNeil (MacNeill) Tartan Kilt
64. Clan MacPherson
Tartan: MacPherson
Colors: Red, dark green, white, black
Motto: Touch not the cat bot a glove
Part of Clan Chattan, the MacPhersons claimed the chieftainship of that confederation. Cluny MacPherson was Bonnie Prince Charlie's most faithful protector after Culloden. He hid in a hideout called Cluny's Cage in the Badenoch hills for nine long years rather than betray the prince's whereabouts, a remarkable act of loyalty.
65. Clan MacRae
Tartan: MacRae
Colors: Dark green, red, navy, white
Motto: Fortitudine (With fortitude)
The MacRaes were hereditary constables of Eilean Donan Castle for the MacKenzies. So fierce were they in defending their chiefs that they earned the nickname MacKenzie's Shirt of Mail. The clan is centered in Kintail and their tartan's deep greens reflect the dramatic mountain landscape of their homeland.
66. Clan Malcolm (MacCallum)
Tartan: Malcolm
Colors: Dark green, navy, red, white
Motto: In ardua tendit (He aims at difficult things)
The Malcolms and MacCallums of Loch Awe share a tartan and a history. The name Malcolm, or Maol Chaluim in Gaelic, means devotee of Columba. Four Scottish kings bore the name Malcolm, making it one of the most royal names in all of Scottish history.
Shop Malcolm (MacCallum) Tartan Kilt
67. Clan Matheson
Tartan: Matheson
Colors: Red, dark green, navy, white
Motto: Fac et spera (Do and hope)
The Mathesons of Ross-shire and Lochalsh are an ancient clan whose Gaelic name, Mac Mhathain, means son of the bear. James Matheson co-founded Jardine Matheson and Co., one of the most powerful trading houses in the Far East during the 19th century, bringing Scottish commercial ambition to Asia on a grand scale.
68. Clan Maxwell
Tartan: Maxwell
Colors: Dark green, navy, black, white
Motto: Reviresco (I grow strong again)
The Maxwells were Lords of Nithsdale and held Caerlaverock Castle, one of Scotland's finest medieval fortresses. Their long-running feud with the Johnstons was one of the bloodiest in all of Border history, with both sides suffering devastating losses over generations of conflict.
69. Clan Menzies
Tartan: Menzies (Red and White)
Colors: Red, white
Motto: Vil God I zal (Will God, I shall)
The Menzies of Weem held lands in Highland Perthshire for over 800 years. Their seat, Castle Menzies, is a fine example of a Scottish Z-plan tower house. Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed there in 1746 during his Highland campaign. The Menzies red and white tartan is one of the simplest and most elegant in the Scottish register.
70. Clan Montgomery
Tartan: Montgomery
Colors: Red, dark green, dark blue, yellow
Motto: Gardez bien (Watch well)
The Montgomeries became Earls of Eglinton in Ayrshire and produced some remarkable military leaders. Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, the hero of El Alamein in World War II, was of this clan. President James K. Polk, the 11th U.S. President, also had Montgomery ancestry, showing this clan's reach into the highest levels of American politics.
71. Clan Morrison
Tartan: Morrison
Colors: Dark green, navy, red, yellow
Motto: Dunna rush me
A Hebridean clan, the Morrisons of Lewis held the hereditary office of Brieves, meaning judges, for the Western Isles. Toni Morrison, the Nobel Prize-winning American author of Beloved and Song of Solomon, bears this clan name. Her work brought Scottish-rooted Morrison into conversations about some of the most important literature in American history.
72. Clan Munro
Tartan: Munro
Colors: Red, dark green, yellow, navy
Motto: Dread God
The Munros held Easter Ross from ancient times and were stalwart supporters of the Scottish Crown. President James Monroe, the 5th U.S. President and architect of the Monroe Doctrine, was of Scottish Munro descent. His family name simply lost its 'u' somewhere on the journey across the Atlantic.
73. Clan Murray
Tartan: Murray of Atholl
Colors: Dark green, red, navy, yellow
Motto: Tout pret (Quite ready)
The Murrays became Dukes of Atholl, one of Scotland's great noble families. Lord George Murray was Bonnie Prince Charlie's most capable general during the 1745 Jacobite rising, winning several remarkable engagements. The Duke of Atholl still maintains the only legal private army in the British Empire today, the Atholl Highlanders, a fascinating living piece of Scottish heritage.
74. Clan MacGillivray
Tartan: MacGillivray
Colors: Dark green, navy, red, yellow
Motto: Dunmaglas
Part of Clan Chattan, the MacGillivrays held lands in Dunmaglas in Inverness-shire. Alexander MacGillivray of Dunmaglas led the Clan Chattan regiment at Culloden and died in the charge. His grave is among the most visited on the battlefield, a reminder of the extraordinary personal courage that was lost on that cold April morning in 1746.
Scottish Clans Starting with N and O
75. Clan Napier
Tartan: Napier
Colors: Dark green, navy, red, white
Motto: Sans tache (Without stain)
The Napiers held lands in Lennox. John Napier of Merchiston was the genius mathematician who invented logarithms in 1614, one of the most important mathematical advances in history. His discovery enabled the navigational calculations that powered the age of exploration and fundamentally changed science, commerce and everything else that depends on numbers.
76. Clan Nicolson (MacNicol)
Tartan: Nicolson
Colors: Dark green, navy, red, white
Motto: Generositate (By generosity)
The Nicolsons held lands on the Isle of Skye for centuries, deeply embedded in Hebridean culture and Gaelic tradition. The clan has produced notable figures in diplomacy, literature and Scottish cultural life, carrying forward a tradition of learning that goes back to the clan's earliest days on Skye.
Shop Nicolson (MacNicol) Tartan Kilt
77. Clan Ogilvie (Ogilvy)
Tartan: Ogilvie
Colors: Red, dark blue, dark green, white
Motto: A fin (To the end)
The Ogilvies became Earls of Airlie in Angus and were fanatically loyal Royalists. The 1st Earl of Airlie was attainted and his castle burned for supporting Charles I. St. John Ogilvie, executed in 1615 for his Catholic faith, is Scotland's only post-Reformation saint, recognized by the Church in 1976.
Shop Ogilvie (Ogilvy) Tartan Kilt
78. Clan Oliphant
Tartan: Oliphant
Colors: Dark green, red, navy, white
Motto: Tout pourvoir (To provide for all)
The Oliphants were a Norman-origin family who settled in Scotland during the 12th century. Carolina Oliphant, Lady Nairne, was one of Scotland's greatest Jacobite songwriters. She composed Charlie is My Darling and The Hundred Pipers among many others, helping keep the Jacobite cause alive in music long after it died on the battlefield.
Scottish Clans Starting with P and R
79. Clan Ramsay
Tartan: Ramsay
Colors: Red, dark green, dark blue, white
Motto: Ora et labora (Pray and work)
The Ramsays of Dalhousie were one of Scotland's great noble families. Poet Allan Ramsay and his son, portrait painter Allan Ramsay, are the clan's most celebrated cultural figures. James Ramsay MacDonald, Britain's first Labour Prime Minister, was of Scottish Ramsay stock, representing the clan's tradition of public service at the highest level.
80. Clan Robertson (Donnachaidh)
Tartan: Robertson
Colors: Red, dark green, dark blue, yellow
Motto: Virtutis gloria merces (Glory is the reward of valour)
The Robertsons are considered the oldest recognized clan in Scotland, formally receiving their royal charter from King James I in the 1430s. Their chief Robert Donnachaidh earned that recognition by capturing the murderers ofJames I's father and bringing them to justice. Their clan name, Clann Donnachaidh, simply means Children of Duncan.
Shop Robertson (Donnachaidh) Tartan Kilt
81. Clan Rose
Tartan: Rose
Colors: Red, green, dark blue, white
Motto: Constant and true
The Roses of Kilravock in Nairnshire have held their castle since the 15th century, one of Scotland's oldest continuously inhabited family homes. Both Mary Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie visited Kilravock Castle, on opposite sides of history, making it perhaps the most diplomatically balanced castle in all of Scotland.
82. Clan Ross
Tartan: Ross
Colors: Red, dark green, dark blue, white
Motto: Spem successus alit (Success nourishes hope)
The Rosses of Easter Ross were powerful earls in northern Scotland. The Earldom of Ross was one of the great prizes of medieval Scottish politics. Betsy Ross, who reputedly sewed the first American flag, was of Scottish Ross descent, making this clan's contribution to American history quite literally sewn into the nation's identity.
Scottish Clans Starting with S
83. Clan Scott
Tartan: Scott
Colors: Red, dark green, navy, black
Motto: Amo (I love)
The Scotts were a major Border clan holding lands in Teviotdale and Liddesdale. The clan's most famous member, Sir Walter Scott, essentially invented the historical novel as a literary form and almost single-handedly romanticized Scotland's image for the entire world. Without Walter Scott, the Highland Revival might never have happened the way it did.
84. Clan Sinclair
Tartan: Sinclair
Colors: Red, dark green, black, white
Motto: Commit thy work to God
The Sinclairs became Earls of Orkney and Caithness. They built the magnificent Rosslyn Chapel in 1446, made globally famous by The Da Vinci Code. Its intricately carved stonework has fascinated visitors for nearly 600 years. Prince Henry Sinclair reportedly crossed the Atlantic nearly 100 years before Columbus, though historians still debate the evidence.
85. Clan Stewart / Stuart
Tartan: Royal Stewart
Colors: Red, dark green, navy, yellow, white (varies by branch)
Motto: Virescit vulnere virtus (Courage grows strong at a wound)
The Royal House of Stewart gave Scotland and later Britain some of its most dramatic monarchs, from Robert II to Mary Queen of Scots to Bonnie Prince Charlie. The Royal Stewart tartan, with its vivid red background and complex crossing lines, is the personal tartan of the British monarch and the most widely recognized tartan in the entire world.
Shop Stewart / Stuart Tartan Kilt
86. Clan Sutherland
Tartan: Sutherland
Colors: Dark green, navy, dark blue
Motto: Sans peur (Without fear)
The Earls and Dukes of Sutherland held the most northerly county in mainland Scotland. The Highland Clearances of the early 19th century, in which tenants were forcibly evicted to make way for sheep farming, are most associated with the Sutherland estates. It remains one of the most painful and contested chapters in Scottish social history, and the wounds it left are still felt today.
Scottish Clans Starting with T, U and W
87. Clan Thomson (Thompson)
Tartan: Thomson
Colors: Red, dark green, navy, yellow
Motto: Ense et animo (By sword and courage)
The Thomsons are a widespread Scottish clan with roots in the Borders and Highlands. The name simply means son of Thomas, and its simplicity has made it one of the most common Scottish surnames carried to the American colonies. The clan's descendants are found throughout the Eastern Seaboard and beyond.
Shop Thomson (Thompson) Tartan Kilt
88. Clan Urquhart
Tartan: Urquhart
Colors: Dark green, navy, red, yellow
Motto: Meane weil, speak weil, do weil
The Urquharts held the Great Glen and built Urquhart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness, now one of Scotland's most visited ruins. Sir Thomas Urquhart (1611-1660) was a flamboyant scholar and the first person to translate Rabelais into English, one of the most ambitious translation projects in literary history.
89. Clan Wallace
Tartan: Wallace
Colors: Red, yellow, dark green
Motto: Pro libertate (For liberty)
No name in Scottish history carries more weight than William Wallace. The Guardian of Scotland led the famous Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 against English occupation and won a stunning victory against a far larger force. Executed by Edward I in 1305, he became Scotland's greatest national hero. The 1995 film Braveheart, for all its historical liberties, introduced his legend to an entirely new generation worldwide.
90. Clan Wemyss
Tartan: Wemyss
Colors: Red, dark green, navy, white
Motto: Je pense (I think)
The Wemyss family held land in Fife on the north shore of the Firth of Forth. Their ancestral home, Wemyss Castle, was where Mary Queen of Scots first met Lord Darnley, the meeting that led to one of history's most tumultuous royal marriages and ultimately to decades of political chaos in Scotland.
Additional Scottish Clans: Quick Reference (Clans 91-150)
The following clans each have their own registered tartan and rich history. Browse their kilts at KiltsStore.com/collections/clan-tartan-kilts.
| # | Clan Name | Tartan Name | Key Colors | Clan Motto |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91 | Abercromby | Abercromby | Red, green, navy | Tace aut face |
| 92 | Ainslie | Ainslie | Red, dark green, navy | |
| 93 | Baillie | Baillie | Red, green, black, yellow | Quid clarius astris |
| 94 | Bethune | Bethune | Red, navy, green, white | |
| 95 | Blair | Blair | Red, dark green, navy | Amo probos |
| 96 | Brodie | Brodie | Red, yellow, dark green | Unite |
| 97 | Brown | Brown | Tan, red, dark green | Floreat majestas |
| 98 | Burns | Burns | Red, dark green, navy | |
| 99 | Carmichael | Carmichael | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | Never behind |
| 100 | Cathcart | Cathcart | Dark green, red, navy, yellow | I hope to speed |
| 101 | Cochrane | Cochrane | Red, dark green, navy, white | Virtute et labore |
| 102 | Craig | Craig | Dark green, navy, red, white | Vive Dieu |
| 103 | Crawford | Crawford | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | Tutum te robore reddam |
| 104 | Cunningham | Cunningham | Red, dark green, navy, white | Over fork over |
| 105 | Dalrymple | Dalrymple | Dark green, red, navy, white | |
| 106 | Darroch | Darroch | Dark green, red, navy | |
| 107 | Donnachie | Donnachie | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | |
| 108 | Dunbar | Dunbar | Red, dark green, navy, white | In promptu |
| 109 | Dundas | Dundas | Dark green, red, navy, yellow | Essayez (Try) |
| 110 | Dunlop | Dunlop | Red, green, navy, yellow | |
| 111 | Durie | Durie | Dark green, red, navy | |
| 112 | Falconer | Falconer | Red, dark green, navy | Destinez |
| 113 | Fleming | Fleming | Red, dark green, navy, white | Let the deed show |
| 114 | Fletcher | Fletcher | Dark green, red, navy, white | All my hope is in God |
| 115 | Forsyth | Forsyth | Red, dark green, navy | Instaurator ruinae |
| 116 | Fullerton | Fullerton | Red, dark green, navy | |
| 117 | Galbraith | Galbraith | Red, green, navy, yellow | Ab obice suavior |
| 118 | Guthrie | Guthrie | Red, dark green, navy, white | Sto pro veritate |
| 119 | Hepburn | Hepburn | Dark green, red, navy, white | Keep traist |
| 120 | Hunter | Hunter | Red, dark green, navy, white | Cursum perficio |
| 121 | Irvine | Irvine | Red, dark green, navy, white | Sub sole sub umbra virens |
| 122 | Jardine | Jardine | Dark green, red, navy, yellow | Cave adsum |
| 123 | Kinnaird | Kinnaird | Red, dark green, navy | Lux in tenebris |
| 124 | Lennox | Lennox | Red, dark green, navy, white | I'll defend |
| 125 | Lumsden | Lumsden | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | Amor Patitur Moras |
| 126 | MacCallum | MacCallum | Dark green, navy, red, white | In ardua tendit |
| 127 | MacColl | MacColl | Dark green, red, navy, white | |
| 128 | MacCorquodale | MacCorquodale | Dark green, red, navy | |
| 129 | MacDiarmid | MacDiarmid | Dark green, red, navy, white | |
| 130 | MacEwen | MacEwen | Dark green, red, navy | Reviresco |
| 131 | MacIver | MacIver | Dark green, red, navy, yellow | Duris non frangor |
| 132 | MacLaine of Lochbuie | MacLaine | Dark green, red, black, white | Buaidh no bas |
| 133 | MacTavish | MacTavish | Dark green, red, navy | Non oblitus |
| 134 | Maitland | Maitland | Dark green, red, navy, white | Consilio et animis |
| 135 | Marjoribanks | Marjoribanks | Red, dark green, navy | |
| 136 | Melville | Melville | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | Denique coelum |
| 137 | Moncreiffe | Moncreiffe | Red, dark green, navy, white | Sur esperance |
| 138 | Nairn | Nairn | Dark green, red, navy, white | |
| 139 | Pollock | Pollock | Dark green, red, navy, yellow | Nec sursum nec deorsum |
| 140 | Primrose | Primrose | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | Fide et fiducia |
| 141 | Sempill | Sempill | Red, dark green, navy, white | Keep |
| 142 | Skene | Skene | Red, dark green, navy, white | Virtutis regia merces |
| 143 | Spalding | Spalding | Red, dark green, navy | |
| 144 | Stirling | Stirling | Dark green, red, navy, yellow | Gang forward |
| 145 | Watson | Watson | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | Insperata floruit |
| 146 | Wedderburn | Wedderburn | Dark green, red, navy, white | |
| 147 | Young | Young | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | Robore prudentiaque |
| 148 | Colville | Colville | Red, dark green, navy | |
| 149 | Clan Chattan | Clan Chattan | Red, dark green, navy | |
| 150 | MacNicol | MacNicol | Dark green, navy, red, white | Generositate |
Quick Reference: All 150 Scottish Clan Tartans at a Glance
The table below gives you an at-a-glance view of all 150 clans covered in this guide. Find your clan, note the tartan name and colors, then shop your kilt at kiltsstore.com/collections/clan-tartan-kilts.
| # | Clan Name | Tartan Name | Key Colors | Clan Motto |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anderson | Anderson | Red, navy blue, green, yellow | Stand Sure |
| 2 | Armstrong | Armstrong | Green, navy, red, yellow | Invictus maneo (I remain unvanquished) |
| 3 | Arbuthnott | Arbuthnott | Dark green, navy, red | Laus Deo (Praise be to God) |
| 4 | Agnew | Agnew | Dark blue, green, red, white | Consilio non impetu (By wisdom, not by force) |
| 5 | Barclay | Barclay | Bright yellow, black | Aut agere aut mori (Either action or death) |
| 6 | Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) | Government Tartan (Black Watch) | Navy blue, forest green, black | Nemo me impune lacessit (No one provokes me with impunity) |
| 7 | Bruce | Bruce | Yellow, black, red | Fuimus (We have been) |
| 8 | Buchanan | Buchanan | Yellow, red, green, white | Clarior hinc honos (Brighter hence the honour) |
| 9 | Baird | Baird | Red, green, navy, white | Dominus fecit (The Lord made) |
| 10 | Cameron | Cameron of Erracht | Red, yellow, dark green | Aonaibh ri cheile (Unite) |
| 11 | Campbell | Campbell | Dark navy blue, forest green, black | Ne obliviscaris (Forget not) |
| 12 | Carnegie | Carnegie | Red, green, navy, yellow | Dread God |
| 13 | Chisholm | Chisholm | Red, green, navy, white stripes | Feros ferio (I am fierce with the fierce) |
| 14 | Colquhoun | Colquhoun | Blue, green, red, white | Si je puis (If I can) |
| 15 | Cumming | Cumming | Green, red, dark blue, yellow | Courage |
| 16 | Davidson | Davidson | Dark green, navy, red, black | Wisely if sincerely |
| 17 | Douglas | Douglas | Dark green, navy, black, red | Jamais arriere (Never behind) |
| 18 | Drummond | Drummond | Red, yellow, dark blue, green | Gang warily (Go carefully) |
| 19 | Duncan | Duncan | Red, green, navy, white | Learn to suffer |
| 20 | Elliot | Elliot | Green, blue, red, black | Fortiter et recte (Boldly and rightly) |
| 21 | Erskine | Erskine | Red, black, green, white | Je pense plus (I think more) |
| 22 | Farquharson | Farquharson | Red, dark green, navy, white | Fide et fortitudine (By fidelity and fortitude) |
| 23 | Ferguson | Ferguson | Dark green, navy, red, white | Dulcius ex asperis (Sweeter after difficulties) |
| 24 | Forbes | Forbes | Red, dark green, white, black | Grace me guide |
| 25 | Fraser | Fraser | Red, white, dark blue | Je suis prest (I am ready) |
| 26 | Galbraith | Galbraith | Red, green, navy, yellow | Ab obice suavior (Sweeter from resistance) |
| 27 | Gordon | Gordon | Dark green, yellow, navy, black | Bydand (Remaining and Steadfast) |
| 28 | Graham | Graham of Menteith | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | Ne oublie (Do not forget) |
| 29 | Grant | Grant | Red, green, navy | Stand fast |
| 30 | Gunn | Gunn | Orange, dark green, navy, red | Aut pax aut bellum (Either peace or war) |
| 31 | Hamilton | Hamilton | Red, green, dark blue, white | Through |
| 32 | Hay | Hay | Red, green, dark blue, yellow | Serva jugum (Keep the yoke) |
| 33 | Henderson | Henderson | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | Sola virtus nobilitat (Virtue alone ennobles) |
| 34 | Home (Hume) | Home | Dark green, navy, red, white | A Home, A Home, A Home |
| 35 | Innes | Innes | Red, green, navy, white | Be traist (Be faithful) |
| 36 | Johnston(e) | Johnston | Dark green, blue, red, black | Light from darkness |
| 37 | Keith | Keith | Red, dark green, black, white | Veritas vincit (Truth conquers) |
| 38 | Kennedy | Kennedy | Dark green, navy, red, yellow | Avise la fin (Consider the end) |
| 39 | Kerr | Kerr | Dark green, navy, red, white | Sero sed serio (Late but in earnest) |
| 40 | Lamont | Lamont | Dark green, navy, red, white | Ne parcas nec spernas (Neither spare nor despise) |
| 41 | Leslie | Leslie | Red, green, dark blue, yellow | Grip fast |
| 42 | Lindsay | Lindsay | Red, dark green, navy, white | Endure fort (Endure boldly) |
| 43 | Logan | Logan | Red, dark green, navy, white | Hoc majorum virtus (This is the virtue of my ancestors) |
| 44 | MacAlister | MacAlister | Dark green, navy, red, white | Forta et fidele (Brave and faithful) |
| 45 | MacBean (MacBain) | MacBean | Dark green, red, navy, yellow | Touch not the cat bot a glove |
| 46 | MacDonald (Lord of the Isles) | MacDonald of the Isles | Dark green, navy, red, white | By sea and by land |
| 47 | MacDougall | MacDougall | Dark green, navy, red, white stripes | Buaidh no bas (Victory or death) |
| 48 | MacDuff | MacDuff | Red, yellow, dark green | Deus juvat (God assists) |
| 49 | MacFarlane | MacFarlane | Black, white, red | This I'll defend |
| 50 | MacGregor | MacGregor / Rob Roy | Red, dark green, black | My race is royal |
| 51 | Mackintosh | Mackintosh | Red, dark green, white | Touch not the cat bot a glove |
| 52 | MacIntyre | MacIntyre | Dark green, red, navy, white | Per ardua (Through difficulties) |
| 53 | MacKay | MacKay | Dark green, navy, red, white | With a strong hand |
| 54 | MacKenzie | MacKenzie | Dark green, red, dark blue, white | Luceo non uro (I shine, not burn) |
| 55 | MacKinnon | MacKinnon | Dark green, blue, red, yellow | Audentes fortuna juvat (Fortune favors the brave) |
| 56 | MacLachlan | MacLachlan | Dark green, navy, red, yellow | Fortis et fidus (Brave and faithful) |
| 57 | MacLaren | MacLaren | Red, dark green, navy, white | Creag an Tuirc (The boar's rock) |
| 58 | MacLean | MacLean of Duart | Red, black, dark green, white | Virtue mine honour |
| 59 | MacLeod | MacLeod of MacLeod | Bright yellow, black | Hold fast |
| 60 | MacMillan | MacMillan | Red, dark green, black, yellow | Miseris succurrere disco (I learn to succour the distressed) |
| 61 | MacNab | MacNab | Red, dark green, black, yellow | Timor omnis abesto (Let all fear be absent) |
| 62 | MacNaughton | MacNaughton | Dark green, red, navy, white | I hope in God |
| 63 | MacNeil (MacNeill) | MacNeil of Barra | Dark green, navy, red, white | Buaidh no bas (Victory or death) |
| 64 | MacPherson | MacPherson | Red, dark green, white, black | Touch not the cat bot a glove |
| 65 | MacRae | MacRae | Dark green, red, navy, white | Fortitudine (With fortitude) |
| 66 | Malcolm (MacCallum) | Malcolm | Dark green, navy, red, white | In ardua tendit (He aims at difficult things) |
| 67 | Matheson | Matheson | Red, dark green, navy, white | Fac et spera (Do and hope) |
| 68 | Maxwell | Maxwell | Dark green, navy, black, white | Reviresco (I grow strong again) |
| 69 | Menzies | Menzies (Red and White) | Red, white | Vil God I zal (Will God, I shall) |
| 70 | Montgomery | Montgomery | Red, dark green, dark blue, yellow | Gardez bien (Watch well) |
| 71 | Morrison | Morrison | Dark green, navy, red, yellow | Dunna rush me |
| 72 | Munro | Munro | Red, dark green, yellow, navy | Dread God |
| 73 | Murray | Murray of Atholl | Dark green, red, navy, yellow | Tout pret (Quite ready) |
| 74 | MacGillivray | MacGillivray | Dark green, navy, red, yellow | Dunmaglas |
| 75 | Napier | Napier | Dark green, navy, red, white | Sans tache (Without stain) |
| 76 | Nicolson (MacNicol) | Nicolson | Dark green, navy, red, white | Generositate (By generosity) |
| 77 | Ogilvie (Ogilvy) | Ogilvie | Red, dark blue, dark green, white | A fin (To the end) |
| 78 | Oliphant | Oliphant | Dark green, red, navy, white | Tout pourvoir (To provide for all) |
| 79 | Ramsay | Ramsay | Red, dark green, dark blue, white | Ora et labora (Pray and work) |
| 80 | Robertson (Donnachaidh) | Robertson | Red, dark green, dark blue, yellow | Virtutis gloria merces (Glory is the reward of valour) |
| 81 | Rose | Rose | Red, green, dark blue, white | Constant and true |
| 82 | Ross | Ross | Red, dark green, dark blue, white | Spem successus alit (Success nourishes hope) |
| 83 | Scott | Scott | Red, dark green, navy, black | Amo (I love) |
| 84 | Sinclair | Sinclair | Red, dark green, black, white | Commit thy work to God |
| 85 | Stewart / Stuart | Royal Stewart | Red, dark green, navy, yellow, white (varies by branch) | Virescit vulnere virtus (Courage grows strong at a wound) |
| 86 | Sutherland | Sutherland | Dark green, navy, dark blue | Sans peur (Without fear) |
| 87 | Thomson (Thompson) | Thomson | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | Ense et animo (By sword and courage) |
| 88 | Urquhart | Urquhart | Dark green, navy, red, yellow | Meane weil, speak weil, do weil |
| 89 | Wallace | Wallace | Red, yellow, dark green | Pro libertate (For liberty) |
| 90 | Wemyss | Wemyss | Red, dark green, navy, white | Je pense (I think) |
| 91 | Abercromby | Abercromby | Red, green, navy | Tace aut face |
| 92 | Ainslie | Ainslie | Red, dark green, navy | |
| 93 | Baillie | Baillie | Red, green, black, yellow | Quid clarius astris |
| 94 | Bethune | Bethune | Red, navy, green, white | |
| 95 | Blair | Blair | Red, dark green, navy | Amo probos |
| 96 | Brodie | Brodie | Red, yellow, dark green | Unite |
| 97 | Brown | Brown | Tan, red, dark green | Floreat majestas |
| 98 | Burns | Burns | Red, dark green, navy | |
| 99 | Carmichael | Carmichael | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | Never behind |
| 100 | Cathcart | Cathcart | Dark green, red, navy, yellow | I hope to speed |
| 101 | Cochrane | Cochrane | Red, dark green, navy, white | Virtute et labore |
| 102 | Craig | Craig | Dark green, navy, red, white | Vive Dieu |
| 103 | Crawford | Crawford | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | Tutum te robore reddam |
| 104 | Cunningham | Cunningham | Red, dark green, navy, white | Over fork over |
| 105 | Dalrymple | Dalrymple | Dark green, red, navy, white | |
| 106 | Darroch | Darroch | Dark green, red, navy | |
| 107 | Donnachie | Donnachie | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | |
| 108 | Dunbar | Dunbar | Red, dark green, navy, white | In promptu |
| 109 | Dundas | Dundas | Dark green, red, navy, yellow | Essayez (Try) |
| 110 | Dunlop | Dunlop | Red, green, navy, yellow | |
| 111 | Durie | Durie | Dark green, red, navy | |
| 112 | Falconer | Falconer | Red, dark green, navy | Destinez |
| 113 | Fleming | Fleming | Red, dark green, navy, white | Let the deed show |
| 114 | Fletcher | Fletcher | Dark green, red, navy, white | All my hope is in God |
| 115 | Forsyth | Forsyth | Red, dark green, navy | Instaurator ruinae |
| 116 | Fullerton | Fullerton | Red, dark green, navy | |
| 117 | Galbraith | Galbraith | Red, green, navy, yellow | Ab obice suavior |
| 118 | Guthrie | Guthrie | Red, dark green, navy, white | Sto pro veritate |
| 119 | Hepburn | Hepburn | Dark green, red, navy, white | Keep traist |
| 120 | Hunter | Hunter | Red, dark green, navy, white | Cursum perficio |
| 121 | Irvine | Irvine | Red, dark green, navy, white | Sub sole sub umbra virens |
| 122 | Jardine | Jardine | Dark green, red, navy, yellow | Cave adsum |
| 123 | Kinnaird | Kinnaird | Red, dark green, navy | Lux in tenebris |
| 124 | Lennox | Lennox | Red, dark green, navy, white | I'll defend |
| 125 | Lumsden | Lumsden | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | Amor Patitur Moras |
| 126 | MacCallum | MacCallum | Dark green, navy, red, white | In ardua tendit |
| 127 | MacColl | MacColl | Dark green, red, navy, white | |
| 128 | MacCorquodale | MacCorquodale | Dark green, red, navy | |
| 129 | MacDiarmid | MacDiarmid | Dark green, red, navy, white | |
| 130 | MacEwen | MacEwen | Dark green, red, navy | Reviresco |
| 131 | MacIver | MacIver | Dark green, red, navy, yellow | Duris non frangor |
| 132 | MacLaine of Lochbuie | MacLaine | Dark green, red, black, white | Buaidh no bas |
| 133 | MacTavish | MacTavish | Dark green, red, navy | Non oblitus |
| 134 | Maitland | Maitland | Dark green, red, navy, white | Consilio et animis |
| 135 | Marjoribanks | Marjoribanks | Red, dark green, navy | |
| 136 | Melville | Melville | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | Denique coelum |
| 137 | Moncreiffe | Moncreiffe | Red, dark green, navy, white | Sur esperance |
| 138 | Nairn | Nairn | Dark green, red, navy, white | |
| 139 | Pollock | Pollock | Dark green, red, navy, yellow | Nec sursum nec deorsum |
| 140 | Primrose | Primrose | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | Fide et fiducia |
| 141 | Sempill | Sempill | Red, dark green, navy, white | Keep |
| 142 | Skene | Skene | Red, dark green, navy, white | Virtutis regia merces |
| 143 | Spalding | Spalding | Red, dark green, navy | |
| 144 | Stirling | Stirling | Dark green, red, navy, yellow | Gang forward |
| 145 | Watson | Watson | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | Insperata floruit |
| 146 | Wedderburn | Wedderburn | Dark green, red, navy, white | |
| 147 | Young | Young | Red, dark green, navy, yellow | Robore prudentiaque |
| 148 | Colville | Colville | Red, dark green, navy | |
| 149 | Clan Chattan | Clan Chattan | Red, dark green, navy | |
| 150 | MacNicol | MacNicol | Dark green, navy, red, white | Generositate |
How to Wear a Clan Tartan Kilt: A Guide for Americans
You found your clan tartan. Now what? Here is everything you need to know about wearing it properly and looking great doing it.
Getting the Right Fit
A proper kilt should fall to the middle of your kneecap, not above and not below. The waistband sits at your natural waist, which is higher than where trouser waistbands typically sit. When ordering from KiltsStore.com, always measure your natural waist and your hip and use our size guide. Getting the fit right makes all the difference between a kilt that looks authentic and one that looks like a costume.
Kilt Size Guide: kiltsstore.com/pages/kilt-size-guide
What to Wear With Your Kilt
For formal occasions (Highland Games, weddings, St. Andrew's Day):
- Prince Charlie jacket or Argyll jacket with matching waistcoat
- Ghillie shirt (a collarless linen shirt)
- Sporran, the leather pouch worn at the front since kilts have no pockets
- Kilt hose (woolen knee socks) with flashes
- Ghillie brogues (traditional Scottish lace-up leather shoes)
- Kilt pin on the front apron
- Optional: sgian-dubh, a small ceremonial knife tucked into the sock
For casual everyday wear:
- A simple t-shirt or flannel shirt works great
- Work boots or even sneakers look perfectly fine
- The kilt without a jacket is completely acceptable
When to Wear Your Clan Tartan Kilt in the USA
There are over 200 Scottish festivals and Highland Games held across all 50 states every year. Beyond that, kilts are increasingly popular for weddings, Burns Night suppers on January 25th, St. Andrew's Day on November 30th, Scottish-American heritage events and simply everyday wear for people who enjoy the style. The kilt is having a real moment in American fashion, and for good reason.
Frequently Asked Questions About Scottish Clan Tartans
Can anyone wear a clan tartan?
Yes, and there are no laws or strict rules about it. If you have Scottish ancestry or simply love Scottish culture, you are welcome to wear any tartan. If you know your clan surname, wearing that clan's tartan is a wonderful way to honor your heritage and connect with something real.
What if I do not know my Scottish clan?
No problem at all. You can wear a district tartan representing a region rather than a specific family, or a national tartan like the Caledonia tartan. The Black Watch tartan is also considered a universal tartan that anyone can wear. You can research your surname at the Scottish Register of Tartans website at tartanregister.gov.uk, or simply browse our full collection at KiltsStore.com.
Is it disrespectful to wear someone else's tartan?
Generally no. While Scots take genuine pride in their clan tartans, wearing another clan's tartan is not considered deeply offensive in most circles. Out of respect for tradition, most Scots prefer to wear their own family tartan when they know it, but there is no rule against wearing any tartan you connect with.
What is the most popular tartan in America?
The Royal Stewart tartan, with its vivid red background, is the most recognized tartan globally and extremely popular in the USA. The Black Watch tartan in navy and dark green is also hugely popular for its versatility. Among clan-specific tartans, MacDonald, Campbell, Fraser and MacGregor, the Rob Roy pattern, are consistently the best sellers for the American market.
Are kilts only for Scottish people?
Absolutely not. Kilts are worn and celebrated by people of Irish, Welsh, Breton and even non-Celtic heritage all over the world. In the USA, kilts have become a fashion choice embraced by people of all backgrounds at festivals, weddings, concerts and everyday life. The kilt is for everyone who loves what it represents.
What is the difference between a tartan and a plaid?
In Scotland, tartan is the specific woven pattern. Plaid originally meant a large woolen garment. In American English, plaid is used for any crosshatch pattern, but technically a tartan is a specific, registered pattern with a defined thread count and color sequence. All tartans are plaid, but not all plaids are tartans.
How do I find my family's tartan?
Start with your surname. Even if it is not a traditional Gaelic clan name, many Lowland and Border family names have registered tartans. Visit the Scottish Register of Tartans at tartanregister.gov.uk and search your surname. You can also browse our full collection at KiltsStore.com where we carry hundreds of clan tartans shipped anywhere in the USA.
Conclusion: Wear Your Heritage With Pride
Scotland's clan tartan tradition is one of the most distinctive and enduring cultural inheritances in the world. From the blood-soaked battlefields of Bannockburn and Culloden to the Highland Games in your hometown, the tartan kilt is a living thread connecting generations across centuries and oceans.
For the 33 million Americans with Scottish roots, wearing your clan tartan is not just a fashion choice. It is a homecoming. Whether you are a MacDonald from the western isles, a Wallace from Ayrshire, a Fraser from the glens of Inverness or a Campbell from Argyll, your tartan is out there waiting for you.
At KiltsStore.com, we are proud to bring authentic, high-quality clan tartan kilts to customers across the United States. Every kilt in our collection honors the tradition, craftsmanship and heritage that makes Scottish culture so beloved worldwide.
Ready to Find Your Clan Tartan Kilt?
Browse All 150+ Clan Tartan Kilts: kiltsstore.com/collections/tartan-kilt
Custom Tartan Kilts: kiltsstore.com/products/custom-tartans
Free Shipping on Qualifying Orders | Ships Across All 50 US States | Authentic Quality Guaranteed
Related articles to publish next: How to Wear a Kilt: The Complete American Guide | Scottish Highland Games in the USA: 2026 Calendar | The History of the Sporran | Best Kilts for Weddings | How to Find Your Scottish Ancestry
Sources: Scottish Register of Tartans (tartanregister.gov.uk) | Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs | National Records of Scotland | Scottish historical literature.