Tartans

As can be seen on the page, there are a variety of tartan designs associated with Clan MacDougall and Clan MacDowall.

MacDougall

The Modern MacDougall tartan is the design most commonly associated with the Clan.

The Ancient MacDougall tartan is a faded version of the Modern design.

The Dress MacDougall tartan is based on the original design, and was likely first created around 1970.

Product found in the Draper’s Shop at Dunollie

The Heritage MacDougall tartan is based on the original MacDougall tartan, and was discovered in 2010 at Dunollie House in Oban. The original tartan plaid length was woven in around 1800 – 1820, by William Wilson of Bannockburn, the famous weaver of most of the tartans adopted by the Scottish Clans. A note by the weavers, which survives in archives, said they copied an old piece of tartan given to them by MacDougall himself. It is the view of the Scottish Tartans Authority that this establishes the provenance of the tartan, and gives us the first or progenitor tartan for the Clan MacDougall. (With information from Dunollie)

Product found in the Draper’s Shop at Dunollie

The Dalriada tartan

THE STORY BEHIND THE DALRIADA TARTAN

In 2010, a tartan of great historic significance was discovered in Dunollie House. The tartan found dated back to the early 18th Century, it pre-dated clan tartans and was most likely woven to represent a district.

Dunollie is the homeland of Cenél Loairn, one of the 3 main kindred’s of Dal Riata. Each had leaders, yet to co-ordinate resources and stave off external invasions, one overall High King ruled in Dál Riada. From shortly before 700AD, the Cenél Loairn held the Over-kingship.

Saint Columba’s biographer, Adomnan, writes of landing in the “caput regionis”: the chief place of the regions, thought by some to be Dunadd. However, Professor Leslie Alcock, from the University of Glasgow, thought that with its location and the balance of evidence, (including the frequency of references within the Iona Annals) Dunollie was more likely.

The historic tartan found in Dunollie House has been given the name Dalriada because this best encapsulates the region and the heritage of this ancient tartan. (Information provided by Dunollie)

Dal Riada, Heritage MacDougall, Dress MacDougall, Modern MacDougall and Ancient MacDougall tartans

MacDowall

There had been no previous tartan for the senior branch of the ancient Lords of Galloway. This was designed by clan Chief Fergus Macdowall of Garthland in conjunction with Gordon Kirkbright of Fraser & Kirkbright, weavers in Vancouver, B.C. The design is a much modified version of the Hunting Stewart of Galloway, and incorporates the MacDowall of Galloway livery colours. Please check out this handout for information on purchasing this tartan.

Members of Clan MacDowall are eligible to wear this tartan from their ancient home territory of Galloway, Scotland. (Galloway District Tartan)

Members of Clan MacDowall are eligible to wear this tartan from their ancient home territory of Galloway, Scotland. (Hunting Stewart of Galloway)

Members of Clan MacDowall are eligible to wear this tartan from their ancient home territory of Galloway, Scotland. (Galloway District Hunting Tartan)

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