The Falkirk Tartan is believed to be the oldest existing tartan. This tartan is an example of 3rd century tartan production. It shows that different colors were created at this time by using different types of wool instead of the differently dyed wool we see today.

While there were professional weavers, most tartan produced in the 1700s was produced by the woman of the house using small handlooms: small-scale tartan productions meant only small sections could be produced at a time. As a result, smaller pieces of material were often sewn together to produce the desired size, for example when producing a plaid.

The “walk” of the wool takes place before the wool is turned into yarn.

The process of cleaning tartan cloth of any dirt or oil and treating it to make it stronger is called ‘waulking’; the cloth was soaked in warm water and urine (for ammonia) and then dried before being kneaded on a board, a door was sometimes removed from its hinges if no other surface was available. On the island of St Kilda, women worked together to move the cloth with their hands and feet while singing a traditional ‘waulking’ song to help them keep time.

Most dyes were made locally from plant sources: most commonly from bark, roots, heather, and berries that could produce a dye that did not fade. So-called vintage colors that are more subtle and muted than synthetic modern dyes and are still popular. ‘Every good farmer’s wife was competent to dye blue, red, green, yellow, black, brown,’ notes a 19th-century writing by James Logan. the use of local dyes produced a range of color variations depending on locally available dyes and small variations were accepted. There was great pride associated with tartan production and the different patterns created.

How is tartan woven?

The warp: the longitudinal thread of the tartan is first placed on the loom, then the weft (cross threads) is woven. The checkered pattern is created by weaving the two colored bands at right angles. The lower part of the kilt is called the selvedge; it is woven in another way to prevent the material from coming undone.

Before the Battle of Culloden in 1746, most tartans were woven by independent weavers at home. With the advent of regimental tartans, traditional sources could no longer meet the demand and specialist companies sprang up to deal with these new customers. Wilson’s of Bannockburn was one of the most famous.

Due to the ban on tartan, the art of weaving in homes was lost to some extent. He lamented the loss of the old skills in cloth-making “Deprived of the pleasure of seeing their husbands, sons, and favourites, in that fine garb, emulation died, and they were content to manufacture the wool in the coarsest and clumsiest manner. ..” patterns of the 17th century, as well as dyeing methods, had been largely forgotten. For a time, regimental kilts were synonymous with dirt cheap clothing. Those in command of the troops were looking to cut costs and soldiers were often issued kilts made of a very poor quality tartan and made from less material than a standard kilt. As a result, English cartoonists of the time depicted Scottish troops wearing ridiculously short kilts. This practice ended with the intervention of Queen Victoria, who ordered that ‘soft rather than hard tartan be worn’ for all regimental tartans.