The present illustration reproduces the pattern of a piece of old hard tartan from a kilt believed to have been worn by a member of Clan Mac Rae at the battle of Sheriffmuir in 1715. The fragment, now in the author’s possession, bears internal evidence of great age, the style of manufacture attesting its connection with the period to which it has been assigned. A tartan somewhat akin to this, and having the same name, is supposed to have been founded on an imperfect acquaintance with the pattern here given. The design is poorly represented in the Clans of Scotland, by Mac Ian and Logan. It has been styled Hunting to distinguish it from a red Mac Rae, which agrees exactly with the Prince’s Own (Plate XLII.) The Editor was unable to account for the connection between the two latter till he discovered a plaid preserved in a carefully authenticated collection in Inverness-shire, with the description: “Mac Rae tartan plaid worn by Prince Charles Edward in 1745.” The plaid being a complicated sett, a large specimen is required to show the complete design, and, either through inadequate patterns or insistent copying, the portion containing the yellow lines has been omitted from all representations of the tartan hitherto published. Captain John Mac Rae of Kames Castle has furnished the following note regarding a sett of tartan which has been worn in his family:—“When my great-great-grandfather, John Mac Ra of Conchra, Lochalsh, was on his way to Sheriffmuir from Kintail, some of his followers being without stockings, the occupants of a shieling in which some of them lodged spent the night in cutting out stockings for them from a web of cloth which they had in the place. A piece of this web was in the possession of my grand-aunt, Miss Flora Mac Ra of Ardintoul, from which she knitted the accompanying hose when a girl at the end of last century. Unfortunately, the original piece of cloth has been lost.” The tartan may be described as consisting of squares of sapphire-blue and white, a line of yellow passing through the former and one of red through the latter.
XXVII. MAC RAE