Tartans

Nobody is quite certain how the tartan originated, and present-day tartans of some of the most famous clans may be little more than a hundred years old. But few will dispute the significance of the tartan motif, and the dress associated with it, in the history and national sentiment of Scottish people everywhere. In this book, Lady Hesketh, herself a member of a distinguished clan and a student of her country's history, traces the early uses of tartan, follows the vicissitudes to which it was subjected by changing politics and fashions, and brings the story, and the designs, up to our own age. The 123 illustrations keep pace with her narrative, and the colour plates reveal all the splendour of the tartans worn by Monarchs, chiefs and peasants through more than three hundred years.