As a Scottish Border clan and family like all others of that ilk Carruthers never had a tartan of their own. In fact, family tartans rather than regional/district tartans or military tartans in the main only came into being in the early part of the 19th century and only really after the visit of King George IV in 1822. This induced the Scottish culture and all that went with it, to become in vogue.
However, as borderers tartan was never really the attire of choice, as such our clothing was historically far more suited to riding and reiving than wearing a tartan kilt and although a district check may have been used in some forms of attire, it definitely did not lead to a Carruthers clan tartan.
As times changed and Scots and those descended from the same wished to celebrate their culture by wearing their ‘national dress’, kilts and in some cases trews in the tartan of one’s own clan or family, can be often seen at cutural events as well as celebrations such as weddings and hogmaney.
Carruthers Tartan
This has led to tartan becoming synonymous with Scottish culture and heritage and a defined visual signature associated with a specific clan or family. As Carruthers had no tartan of their own, two tartans were registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans in 2017 by Dr George Carruthers of Fife, an armiger of the clan.
One, the red was gifted to the Clan Chief on his confirmation and through him the clan. This was adopted by the Chief, with a change in categorisation of its registration reflecting it as the official Clan/family tartan of Carruthers.
It carries the following restrictions: Recognised by the Clan Chief, Dr Simon Peter Carruthers of Holmains, Chief of The Name & Arms of Carruthers and is intended for members of Clan Carruthers & other spellings of the Name. The other was kept as a private tartan for Dr Carruthers own family.
The tartan was designed for us, taking into account our Border history, by a renowned Scottish tartan designer Mr Brian Wilton MBE, and is woven from 100% Scottish wool by our Scottish weavers, the House of Edgar in Perth. Scotland. The House of Edgar is one of the oldest independent family weavers still in existence in Scotland having begun in 1783.
This ensures that Carruthers, as a Scottish clan and family is anchored firmly to Scotland and retains its own visual identity and individuality, rather than using the tartan of another clan or family.
Currently it is not commercially available, but will hopefully progressively become so
Carruthers Tartan itself was designed to offer a visual story of our family, depicting just who and what we are.
THE TARTAN DESIGN AND ITS MEANINGS
The tartan was designed by Brian Wilton MBE, FSA Scot of Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland. Brian is a former Director of the Scottish Tartans Authority (1995-2015) and is both a tartan historian and tartan designer of renown. He was commissioned by Dr George Carruthers FSA Scot, to design a Carruthers tartan that would reflect our family and its rich history.
- The green, purple and lilac in the tartan, represents the lands of our family’s origins in Annandale, Dumfriesshire, South West Scotland.
- The red represents the blood we spilt throughout history for our country, our lands and our family at home and abroad.
- Finally, but no less important, the subtle white stripe is in recognition of our family’s support as Jacobites for the Royal House of Stuart.
It is therefore with the full consent and agreement of the Chief that the Carruthers Red (STR 11700) is the official Clan Carruthers tartan. Although all kiltmakers can make you a kilt or trews to order, they would have to order stock in.
CLAN CARRUTHERS PREFERRED KILTMAKER LIST
So you want a kilt, dress or trews?
- Firstly, Carruthers tartan can only be purchased through the House of Edgar, Perth Scotland.
- Find a kiltmaker of repute and your choice.
- Have them measure you for your chosen piece, remembering that if a kilt, Carruthers flashes can be lovely accessory for the socks.
- Have the makers contact the House of Edgar to buy the required length of material.
- Await the manufacture of the garment and attend a fitting.
- Wear with pride.
Although, the tartan is available directly from the House of Edgar in Scotland to all of our name and derivations of the same through any kiltmaker, listed below are our preferred kiltmakers:-
SCOTLAND:
*Anderson Kilts
5 Church Crescent, Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway, DG1 1DF, Scotland.
Tel: 01387 250250
Email: info@andersonkilts.co.uk
*Geoffrey (Tailor) Kiltmaker
59 High Street, The Royal Mile Edinburgh EH1 1SR
Tel: 0131 557 0256
Email: office@geoffreykilts.co.uk
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:
*USA Kilts
3389 Schuylkill Rd, Spring City, PA 19475, United States
Tel:+18003688633
Sales@USAkilts.com
*Atlanta Kilts
1275 Buford Hwt, Unit 105, Sawanee, GA 30024, USA
Tel: (678) 652-3559/373-337 Toll Free: (877) 411-KLT(5458)
email: kiltrent@gmail.com
CANADA:
*McPhails Kiltmakers,
103-1475 Fairview Road, Penticton, British Columbia, V2A7W5, Canada.
Tel: 250-462-2998
Email: mcphailkilts@hotmail.com
*Tartantown,
#4-555 Clarke Road, Coquitlam, British Columbia. Canada V3J 3X4, T
el: (604) 936-8548, Toll Free: 1-(877) 800-5458,
email: info@tartantown.com
* Highland Kilt Maker,
107-770 Hugh Allan Drive, Kamloops, BC Canada V1S 0C4. British Columbia, T
el: 1-250-318-5161,
email: highlandseamstress@gmail.com
AUSTRALIA:
*Scottish Highland Kilts and Costumes
28 Comstock Way, Woodvale, Perth, WA 6026, AU
Tel: 0412 511 639
Email: bev4highland@gmail.com
* St Kilda Retail, Australia,
166 Glebe Road, Booval, QLD 4304, Australia,
Tel: 0457787715/0732-820031,
email: sales@stkildaretail.com.au
SOUTH AFRICA
*Dunvegan Kilts and Tartans,
Glendower Place, Shopping Centre, 99 Linksfield Rd, Edenvale, Johannesburg, South Africa,
Tel: +27 11 608 0273
email: info@kilts.co.za
*Staghorn Scottish Outfitting and Kilt Hire,
16 Gabriel Road, Plumstead 7800, Cape Town, South Africa,
Tel: +27 (0)21 761 4853 | +27 (0)82 377 7830
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