The idea that every Scottish clan has always had its own tartan is mostly a 19th centur…

The idea that every Scottish clan has always had its own tartan is mostly a 19th century invention. Early tartans were regional, not familial, with colours determined by whatever dyes could be made from local plants and berries. After Culloden in 1746, the British government banned tartan entirely to crush the clan system, and by the time the ban was lifted in 1782 most of the old patterns had been forgotten. The great tartan revival came in 1822 when George IV visited Edinburgh and asked everyone to wear their clan colours, prompting a rush to invent or reinvent patterns. There were around 100 named tartans in 1800. Today there are over 7,000.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​