Tartan Details - The Scottish Register of Tartans

19 April 2024

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Tartan Details - Shepherd or Falkirk

The information held within The Scottish Register of Tartans for the "Shepherd or Falkirk" tartan is shown below.


STA ref:	1253
STWR ref:	1253
Designer:	Not Specified
Tartan date:	Historic
Registration date:	This tartan was recorded prior to the launch of The Scottish Register of Tartans.
Category:	Corporate
Restrictions:
Registration notes:	This is an old traditional border shepherd's check made of white wool and black wool, and which was later introduced to the Highlands and formed the basis of many of the estate checks. Also known as 'The Falkirk Tartan' because of the discovery of such a weave in the neck of a jar containing Roman coins buried about 260 A.D. The black and white check is woven today as a family tartan for the surname Shepherd tartan. Notes from www.regiments.org add: 'The 'Northumberland' tartan, also known as 'Border', 'Border Riever', and 'Shepherd's Check' predates most Scottish tartans and has long been associated with shepherds of the Border region who were encouraged to move north after the Highland clearances. As early as 1760 the Duke of Northumberland (Percy family) designated this tartan for his personal piper. It was later adopted as the plaid for pipers of The Northumberland Fusiliers, the official tartan of Northumberland County and that of the Shepherd family. Seems only to be woven at this time (August 2005) by the Northumberland Tartan Company - www.northumberlandtartan.co.uk.

Tartan image: Shepherd or Falkirk. Click on this image to see a more detailed version.

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Please note

Where tartans were recorded before the establishment of the Scottish Register of Tartans (SRT) on 5 February 2009, the original Scottish Tartans Authority (STA) and the Scottish Tartans World Register (STWR) reference numbers have been retained. The new SRT reference number can be found in the address box on your browser (url).

The registration criteria now applied by the Register conforms to the Scottish Register of Tartans Act 2008. These criteria are different to those previously applied by either the STA or the STWR. You may wish to refer to the STA website for further information on the original recording of this tartan.

National Records of Scotland, H.M. General Register House, 2 Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3YY
email: [email protected].