Clans and Tartans; by Charles MacLean, David McAllister; 59 pp; Hardcover; 4.5x6; Published: 1997, ISBN: 9781565542914; Item # PP916

Buchanan. Campbell. Macdonald. Robertson. Stewart. These are but a few of the Highland clans whose histories are profiled in Clans and Tartans . About one thousand years ago, the Gaelic word clann, which means children, first came into common usage. The earliest example of checked or striped cloth worn in Scotland is a fragment of two-color "dog-tooth" checked woolen fabric - the so-called "Falkirk tartan" - circa a.d. 235. However, prior to the sixteenth century, there is no evidence of the tartan as it is recognized today. Many of the Highland clans are profiled here, complete with color illustrations of their respective tartans. Also, clan lands, slogans, and plant badges are all listed. For example, for author Charles Maclean, the clan Maclean's lands include Mull, Morvern, Ardgour, Coll, and Tiree. The slogan is "Bas no Beatha" which means "Death or Life." The Maclean plant badges are Crowberry and Holly. Finally, amateur genealogists will appreciate the helpful hints, complete with addresses, designed to aid those tracing their Scottish roots.