Border tartan, sometimes known as "Northumbrian tartan", "Shepherds' Plaid" or "Border Drab," is a design used in woven fabrics historically associated with the Anglo-Scottish Border, including the Scottish Borders and Northumberland. The Anglo-Scottish border (or English-Scottish border) runs for 96  Miles nbsp(154  km) between The Scottish Borders, often referred to simply as the Borders, is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. Northumberland is a county in the North East of England. The non-metropolitan county of Northumberland borders Cumbria to the west

A modern version of the Border tartan

James Hogg painted with a Border plaid over his left shoulder

The modern Border tartan is a crossweave of small dark and light checks, much plainer than the better-known Scottish tartans [1]. James Hogg (1770 - 21 November 1835) was a Scottish poet and Novelist who wrote in both Scots and English. Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours Traditionally, the yarn for the light squares was simply untreated sheep's wool and the darker yarn was the same wool dyed with simple vegetable dyes, such as alder bark or water flag, or the untreated wool of a black sheep. [2].

Modern Border Tartans are almost invariably a bold black and white check, but historically the light squares were the yellowish colour of untreated wool, with the dark squares any of a range of dark grays, greens or browns; hence the alternative name of "Border Drab. " At a distance the checks blend together making the fabric ideal camouflage for stalking game. Camouflage is a method of cryptic or concealing coloration that allows an otherwise visible Organism

This style of tartan is one of the oldest in existence [3] as fragments of similar tartans have been found in Great Britain and Jutland. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands This article is about the region of Denmark. For the World War I naval battle see Battle of Jutland.

One similar fragment was discovered in an earthenware pot filled with silver coins, at the Antonine Wall in Falkirk (giving it the name Falkirk Sett). The Antonine Wall is a stone and turf Fortification, built by the Romans across what is now the Central belt of Scotland The Falkirk tartan is one of the earliest check designs found in the British Isles and dates back to Roman times (around the 3rd century BCE). Falkirk is also the name of the Scottish council area centred on the town see Falkirk (council area. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC It is now kept in the National Museum of Scotland. National Museums Scotland is the family of several National museums in Scotland. The Celts were said by Roman scholars to wear bright stripes, that some have suggested are actually descriptions of the brighter variants of tartan. [4]]

Whatever its origins, the use of the Border tartan in the area can only be attested from the 15th century when it was in use by Shepherds in various parts of the Great Britain,^[1] it being possibly the easiest tartan to create due to its use of natural colours and undyed wool[5] [6]. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands

Sir Walter Scott was famed for wearing trousers of Border tartan, thus starting a fashion for checked clothing in Victorian London. Sir Walter Scott 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 &ndash 21 September 1832 was a prolific Scottish Historical novelist and Poet popular throughout [7]

In Sketches by Boz, a collection of short pieces published by Charles Dickens, "The Shepherds' Plaid" is mentioned. Sketches by Boz is a collection of short pieces published by Charles Dickens in 1836. [8]

The Border tartan has long been worn by the retainers of the House of Percy. The House of Percy (also Perci were the most powerful noble family in Northern England for much of the Middle Ages having gained the title Baron Percy already in 1066 In 1760 it was adopted as the official tartan of the Duke of Northumberland's piper. Year 1760 ( MDCCLX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap The Duke of Northumberland is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It is also the official plaid for pipers of the Northumberland Fusiliers [9]. The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was one of England's premier county Regiments and can trace its ancestry back to the year 1674

References

1. ^ The Shepherd Family Tartan