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Rob Roy MacGregor
"A famous man is Robin Hood,
The English ballad-singer's joy!
And Scotland has a thief as good,
An outlaw of as daring mood;
She has her brave Rob Roy!"
~ William Wordsworth, Memorials of a Tour in Scotland, 1803
Baptised on March 7, 1671, Raibeart Ruadh MacGregor, more famously known as Rob Roy, was a Scottish outlaw from the Highlands often referred to as the Scottish Robin Hood.
Tales of his exploits made him both a figure of notoriety and respect. In an era when cattle rustling and the trade of protection against such thefts was common in the Scottish Highlands, Rob Roy carved a niche for himself as a respected cattleman. His ambition to expand his cattle herd led him to borrow a significant sum of money. However, when his chief herder, entrusted with the money to purchase cattle, vanished without a trace, he was left unable to repay his debts.
This misfortune branded him an outlaw, and saw his wife and family cruelly evicted and their home at Inversnaid razed to the ground. The seizure of his lands by his principal creditor, James Graham, the 1st Duke of Montrose, spurred Rob Roy into a relentless private blood feud against the Duke, a conflict that persisted until 1722 when he was compelled to surrender.
Following his imprisonment, Rob Roy was eventually pardoned in 1727, a testament to the complex layers of his character. He died in his house at Inverlochlarig Beg, Balquhidder, in 1734, aged 63.
While the Rob Roy tartan—also known as MacGregor Red and Black or Old MacGregor—is widely associated with the famous outlaw, there is no contemporary evidence that Rob Roy MacGregor himself wore it. The earliest visual evidence for the distinctive red-and-black check appears in a portrait of Lord Mungo Murray (c.1680), which shows black-and-red diced hose. Similar patterns also appear in several mid-18th-century portraits from the Jacobite period, including those of David, Lord Ogilvy (1745) and other Highland figures.
These portraits suggest that this red-and-black check was a widely worn Highland pattern rather than one uniquely connected with Rob Roy, and the association with his name likely developed later during the 19th-century romantic revival of Highland dress. ❤️ 🖤 ❤️ ⚔️ 🐂 🐂 🐂
'S Rioghal Mo Dhream - "Royal is my race"
Depending on one's point of view or choice of historical sources, Rob Roy can be looked upon as a chivalrous Scottish Robin Hood, or nuisance cattle rustler.
Regardless, his story has made for fabulous legends and immortalization in poetry, music, novels, and film.
For centuries the ‘Wild MacGregors’, roamed the Trossachs in Scotland. The most infamous member of the clan was Robert MacGregor, who acquired the name of ‘Roy’ early in life due to his red curly hair.
The notes from the Scottish Register of Tartans for this pattern indicates that no documentary evidence of Rob Roy actually wearing it exists, but in the 1850 book 'The Clan and Family Tartans of Scotland,' it is stated: 'Of this distinguished personage no fewer than three original portraits exist - all taken from life, and all dressed in this Tartan.' One of these, 1704 is at Broomhill near Hamilton, one being 1714 Scottish Antiquarian Society, and one is at 1734 in possession of George Buchanan, Esq, of Arden.'
Also known as 'Old MacGregor,' the 'Rob Roy' name for this tartan is thought to have been popularized during the Victorian period. There is no set thread count for this pattern, and it is woven at various sizes from 1 inch to 6 inch squares in equal proportions.
In the United States and elsewhere this pattern is also known as "lumberjack" or "buffalo" plaid.
For more on Rob Roy, click one of the 19th century portraits, which although has no historical provenance, was often reproduced and purported to be Rob Roy MacGregor.