Macpherson Tartans

The top sample is called 'Macpherson Red' and is the one submitted to the London Highland Society by Chief Duncan Macpherson of the Kiln in 1817 as the official Macpherson tartan. A comparison of this tartan and the Modern Red is shown on Panel 22. There are two variants of the Modern Red that use the same sett but different colours -- the 'Ancient Red' in which the 'red' has an orangey hue and the 'Weathered Red' in which the 'red' is much darker and the other colours are similarly muted.

The bottom sample is known as the 'Clarke' tartan, one of the associated families that are Cluny adherents. Tartan experts point out that it is similar to the sett of the Macpherson Hunting tartan.