Tartan fabric on a loom in Edinburgh, Scotland
© AA World Travel Library/Alamy
Tartan fabric on a loom in Edinburgh, Scotland
If you have any Scottish roots in your family tree, you may have tried to determine which tartan represents your family. But this iconic plaid pattern wasn’t invented in Scotland. Early examples of the pattern exist across central Europe and even into western China, dating back roughly 4,000 years. The tartan’s close association with Scottish culture didn’t fully take hold until the early 19th century, though the pattern had been worn, with some color and pattern combinations associated with particular regions, for at least a century prior.
Related Images
Artist Jesus 'CIMI' Alvarado painting his mural 'Fronterizos' on a wall of the El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso, Texas
Peekaboo view of Angels Window on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Arizona
Old surfboards lined up as a fence near Paia, Maui, Hawaii
Petit Minou Lighthouse in the roadstead of Brest, Finistère, France
Salisbury Crags in Holyrood Park overlooking Edinburgh, Scotland
Mesas, Upper Cathedral Valley, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
School of sea goldies with feather stars, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
Colorful alleyway in the medina of Tétouan, Morocco
Today Bing
Gapstow Bridge in Central Park, New York City
Jan 02, 2016
Piscataqua River, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Jan 02, 2015
