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Ramsay Blue

The Ramsays are of Anglo-Norman origin. The ancestor of the Ramsays of Dalhousie was Simon de Ramsay, granted lands in Lothian by David I. Many Ramsays appear in charters between that date and 1296 when that of William de Ramsay appears in the 'Ragman Roll' - the instruments by which the nobility and gentry of Scotland were compelled to subscribe allegiance to Edward I of England in 1292, and again in 1296. In 1314 Ramsay supported Bruce at Bannockburn and signed The Declaration of Arbroath, a document penned by the Scottish nobility on April 6, 1320, and addressed to Pope John XXII. It served as a formal declaration of Scotland's independence and a plea for papal recognition of Robert the Bruce as the rightful king. The house of Dalhousie founded branches, including the Ramsays of Cockpen and Whitehill and of Balmain. George Ramsay was made Lord Ramsay of Melrose in 1618, later altered to Lord Ramsay of Dalhousie. It became an earldom in 1633. Clan Ramsay's influence included figures like Sir Alexander Ramsay of Dalhousie, a celebrated knight and poet. Allan Ramsay (1684-1758), master wig maker, founder of the first British circulating library, poet - author of The Gentle Shepherd, and a leading figure in the Scottish Enlightenment. His son Allan (1713-84) was royal portrait painter to King George III. The Ramsay tartan dates back to the 18th century. The Ramsay Blue Tartan dates to the 1930s, recognized by the Scottish Tartans Authority in 1999. The blue stripes signify loyalty to the Scottish Crown, with black a symbol of strength, and the white, purity.

MacQueen of Skye

The Clan MacQueen or MacSweyn, was originally of Skye as a sept of the MacDonalds, thought to be of Norse origin, from Sweyn of Swee – in Gaelic: MacCuine, MacShuibhne. Some Irish forms are of non-Norse origin, and those meaning ‘son of Conn’ again relate them to the Celtic ancestor of Clan Donald. Their West Highland and Hebridean roots have also been associated with Clan Donald, initially a branch of the MacDonalds of Clanranald. The MacQueens of Garafad held lands in Skye for many centuries, and the clan maintained a close connection with Clan Donald. The MacQueens became a sept of the Clan Chattan in the 15^th Century after the marriage of Mora Macdonald of Moidart with Calum Beg Mackintosh. The bride was accompanied by several of her clansmen, including Revan Macqueen (also known as Roderic mac Milmor vic Swen), who settled in the Mackintosh country and subsequently formed septs of the Clan Chattan. The chief branch, or Clan Revan, migrated via Moidart to Strathdearn. With their chief Revan MacMulmor MacSweyn, they settled in 1410 as part of Clan Chattan under Macintosh leadership, fighting under Mackintosh at the Battle of Harlaw in 1411. The Clan Chattan Bond of 1609 brought together the leaders of the clan to foster unity and was signed by Donald MacQueen of Corrybrough and for John MacQueen in Little Corrybrough and Sween MacQueen in Raigbeg.

Stewart Modern Black

The name of this illustrious and royal family is spelled two ways – Stewart and Stuart – but it was not spelled Stuart until the time of Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary, betrothed at the age of five to the Dauphin, Francis II of France, spent 13 years at the French Court. To enable her French associates to pronounce the Stewart name more easily it was decided to respell it without the troublesome “w”. There are over 30 tartans associated with the Stewart clan. Stewart Modern Black Tartan is a classic black-based tartan with colourful over-checks. This tartan variant is a darker interpretation of the traditional Stewart colours, primarily black and dark green, interwoven with subtle hints of red and blue with unique and darker tones.

Stewart Hunting

“Hunting” tartans can be dated back to the 16th century. Clans who wore bright colours had the idea of making them more sombre and serviceable for everyday or hunting wear, replacing a prominent colour in the main tartan with a dark colour. Differences between tartans incorporate different branches of the clan, different areas of origin and further variations using the labels “dress” and “hunting”. Royal Stewart tartan is dominated by a vibrant red, Stewart of Appin has lighter greens and blues and the Fraser Stewart of Atholl tartan is mostly red with blocks of blue, green and purple. The Stewart Hunting tartan is a variation on the Stewart tartan but is predominantly green and black with overchecks of red, yellow and blue. In 1848, Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert bought Balmoral Castle. Prince Albert took care of interior decoration, where he used red Royal Stewart and the green Stewart Hunting tartan for carpets, and Dress Stewart for curtains and upholstery.