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Famous & Infamous

Quite the collection of characters!

Click any picture to navigate to the page of interest for more information about this tartan or its associated day.

Double Elvis Gallery

Jan 8
Birthday Elvis Presley

Based on the 'America' tartan, this adaptation retains the colours of the US flag and discretely introduces Elvis Presley's favourite colour pink plus a gold band to represent his legendary number of Gold Discs. The white threadcount is 42 which was the 'King's' age when he died. The narrow white is 8 threads and represents the day of the month in which he was born whilst the 8 blue represents the month of the year in which he died.

Presley of Lonmay

Jan 8
Birthday Elvis Presley

Presley of Memphis

Jan 8
Birthday Elvis Presley

Based on the 'America' tartan, this adaptation retains the colours of the US flag and discretely introduces Elvis Presley's favourite colour pink plus a gold band to represent his legendary number of Gold Discs. The white threadcount is 42 which was the 'King's' age when he died. The narrow white is 8 threads and represents the day of the month in which he was born whilst the 8 blue represents the month of the year in which he died.

James Watt Commemorative

Jan 19
the James Watt Bicentenary

Joe Strummer Commemorative

Feb 7
International Clash Day

This tartan was conceived to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the birth of Joe Strummer (John Graham Mellor), lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the band, The Clash. The colours reflect those used in the production of audio cassette tape.

Rob Roy

Mar 7
Rob Roy MacGregor

In the United States and elsewhere this pattern is also known as "lumberjack" or "buffalo" plaid.

Hitchcock

Mar 12
Hitchcock Day

Purple Rain

Mar 26
Purple Day

Designed by David McGill as a tribute to the late American recording artist, Prince, in the hopes that this would make "Prince the “greatest tartan icon ever." Colours reflect the name of Prince's 6th album and song of the same name, "Purple Rain."

The British Bulldog

Jun 4
Winston Churchill Day

This tribute fashion tartan celebrates both the style and spirit of "The British Bulldog": blue and white for his ‘Dickie Bow’; dark grey for his Homburg hat; light brown for his cigar; and black for ‘The Black Dog,' the bouts of depression that hounded Churchill for much of his life.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Jun 7
the Birthday of Charles Rennie Mackintosh

This design echoes Mackintosh's nine square motif.

Flora MacDonald (portrait)

Jun 27
Prince Charlie & Flora MacDonald set sail

The part that Flora MacDonald played in the escape of Bonnie Prince Charlie 'over the sea to Skye' is immortalised in the 'Skye Boat Song', published in 1884: “Speed bonny boat like a bird on a wing, Onward the sailors cry. Carry the lad that's born to be King, Over the sea to Skye.” ​

Over the Sea to Skye

Jun 27
Prince Charlie & Flora MacDonald set sail

The part that Flora MacDonald played in the escape of Bonnie Prince Charlie 'over the sea to Skye' is immortalised in the 'Skye Boat Song', published in 1884: “Speed bonny boat like a bird on a wing, Onward the sailors cry. Carry the lad that's born to be King, Over the sea to Skye.” ​

Runrig

Aug 19
Runrig's Farewell Concert

Designed by Prickly Thistle, this tartan's colours have special significance to the band members.

Blackie

Aug 21
Poet Day

Sir Sean Connery Commemorative

Aug 25
Sean Connery's Birthday

Diana Memorial Rose

Aug 31
Diana, Princess of Wales

This tartan was designed by Lochcarron of Scotland to commemorate the life of Diana Princess of Wales and to raise money for her many charities.

Havel

Dec 18
Václav Havel Memorial Day

The Havel tartan portrays an endless succession of prison cell windows struck through in red, protesting the persecution and imprisonment of writers of conscience in the knowledge that free expression is an essential component of every healthy society. It is named in honour of the late Vaclav Havel, the dissident playwright and co-author of Charter 77, the landmark human rights declaration for which he was imprisoned for several years.

Romantic Scotland (Madonna)

Dec 22
Madonna Wedding at Skibo Castle (2001)

Colours: Blue - after Madonna's early 'True Blue' album; yellow - after her 'Blonde Ambition' tour; pearl white - after 'Like A Virgin'; purple - to represent Scottish heather. A three line over-check echoes the style of the Ritchie tartan, and elements of the New York City Fire Brigade, the America St Andrews Bicentennial and the Sutherland tartans - Originally named the Madonna tartan and produced to thank her for marrying Guy Ritchie at Dornoch Cathedral and Skibo Castle in 2001.

Double Elvis

Jan 8
Birthday Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as "the King of Rock and Roll", or simply, "the King".

Elvis Presley

Jan 8
Birthday Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley

Jan 8
Birthday Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as "the King of Rock and Roll", or simply, "the King".

James and the Teakettle

Jan 19
the James Watt Bicentenary

The Clash

Feb 7
International Clash Day

The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 as a key player in the original wave of British punk rock. They have also contributed to the post-punk and new wave movements that emerged in the wake of punk and employed elements of a variety of genres including reggae, dub, funk, ska and rockabilly.

Rob Roy MacGregor

Mar 7
Rob Roy MacGregor

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.

Vertigo (1958)

Mar 12
Hitchcock Day

Prince

Mar 26
Purple Day

Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and actor. He was a musical innovator and known for his eclectic work, flamboyant stage presence, extravagant dress and makeup, and wide vocal range. His music integrates a wide variety of styles, including funk, rock, R&B, new wave, soul, psychedelia, and pop. He has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time.

Winston Churchill

Jun 4
Winston Churchill Day

Portrait by Arthur Pen, 1943

Tulip and Lattice Pattern

Jun 7
the Birthday of Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Scottish architect, designer, water colourist and artist, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret Macdonald were influential in the Art Nouveau and Secessionist movements in the early 20th century and prominent members of the Glasgow Art and Design artistic community.

Flora MacDonald

Jun 27
Prince Charlie & Flora MacDonald set sail

On June 27, 1746, Flora MacDonald set sail with Bonnie Prince Charlie to aid his escape from Scotland after the defeat of the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

Flora MacDonald

Jun 27
Prince Charlie & Flora MacDonald set sail

On June 27, 1746, Flora MacDonald set sail with Bonnie Prince Charlie to aid his escape from Scotland after the defeat of the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

Runrig

Aug 19
Runrig's Farewell Concert

Runrig were a Scottish Celtic rock group formed in Skye, in 1973 under the name 'The Run Rig Dance Band'.

Aug 21
Poet Day

Sean Connery as James Bond

Aug 25
Sean Connery's Birthday

Memorial Fountain

Aug 31
Diana, Princess of Wales

Diana, Princess of Wales (1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997)

Václav Havel

Dec 18
Václav Havel Memorial Day

Havel's Civic Forum party played a major role in the Velvet Revolution that toppled communism in Czechoslovakia in 1989. He assumed the presidency shortly thereafter, and was reelected in a landslide the following year and after Slovak independence in 1993.

Madonna

Dec 22
Madonna Wedding at Skibo Castle (2001)

Madonna Louise Ciccone (born August 16, 1958), known professionally as Madonna, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. She achieved popularity by pushing the boundaries of lyrical content in mainstream popular music and imagery in her music videos, which became a fixture on MTV.

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