Tartans of the Red Thistle Dancers
Here's to it!
The fighting sheen of it,
The yellow, the green of it,
The white, the blue of it,
The swing, the hue of it,
The dark, the red of it,
Every thread of it!
The fair have sighed for it,
The brave have died for it,
Foemen sought for it,
Heroes fought for it,
Honour the name of it,
Drink to the fame of it -
THE TARTAN!
A Toast to the Tartan
Many different tartans are worn for our performances -- in the kilts for the men, and in the sashes or kilts for the ladies. See if your own family name, clan affiliation, regional, or favorite tartan is represented below. Click on any tartan for more details.
The Gents:
A branch of the larger Clan Stewart, Stuart of Bute takes its name from the gift of Robert Robert Stewart, who reigned as Robert II of Scotland, and gave to his younger son, John, the Isle of Bute, the Isle of Arran and the Isle of Cumbrae. The king conferred these lands into a county and made his son the sheriff.
The surname of Crawford is believed to be of Norman origin. The name is taken from the barony of the same name in Lanarkshire. The early names of all of the principal Crawford families are all Norman, however some scholars have asserted an Anglo-Danish ancestry. The Crawfords appear in a legendary incident when the king's life was saved from a stag and this led to the foundation of Holyrood Abbey. Motto: Tutum te robore reddam (I will give you safety by strength)
In Scottish Gaelic the name Macpherson is Mac a' Phersein which means son of the parson. The Celtic church allowed priests to marry and the progenitor of the chiefs of Clan Macpherson is believed to have been a man named Muireach or Murdo Cattenach who was the priest of Kingussie in Badenoch. Motto: Touch not the cat bot a glove. The motto serves as a warning that one should beware when the wildcat's claws are 'without a glove'.
As Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, the surname Anderson, which means Son of Andrew, is commonly found throughout most of the country. Motto: Stand sure
In Scottish Gaelic the name Macpherson is Mac a' Phersein which means son of the parson. Motto: Touch not the cat bot (without) a glove.
The pattern was devised for the Musselburgh Riding of the Marches celebrations of 1956. Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth.
Clan Donnachaidh, also known as Clan Robertson, is one of the oldest of all Scottish clans. Motto: Virtutis gloria merces (Glory is the reward of valour), War cry: Garg 'nuair dhùisgear (Fierce when roused)
Clan Kerr is a Scottish clan whose origins lie in the Scottish Borders. The name stems from the Old Norse kjrr which means marsh dweller, and came to Scotland from Normandy, the French settlement of the Norsemen. Motto: Sero sed serio (Late but in earnest)
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Formed from six "watch" companies to patrol the Highlands of Scotland, this force was to be "employed in disarming the Highlanders, preventing depredations, bringing criminals to justice, and hindering rebels and attainted persons from inhabiting that part of the kingdom." Motto: Nemo Me Impune Lacessit ("No One Provokes Me With Impunity")
The Lindsays are descended from Danes who had come to England between the 6th and 9th centuries and are a Scottish Lowlands Clan. Motto: Endure fort (strongly or bravely)
Clan Gunn is a Scottish clan associated with northeastern Scotland, including Caithness and Sutherland and, arguably, the Orkney Islands. The Clan Gunn is one of the oldest Scottish Clans descended from the Norse Jarls of Orkney and the Pictish Mormaers of Caithness. Motto: Aut pax aut bellum (Either peace or war)