Tartan Tales

A wee bit more on tartan.

The corruption of the word "Plaid" occurred when the Scottish Highlanders wore their Highland cloaks at the time they first moved to America.

Plaide was the old Gaelic word for the irregular garment worn by the Scots and was mainly woven in tartan patterns. The word really means "sheepskin" but was eventually used for the length of woolen cloth which could be used as a kilt and draped over the shoulder to act as cloak and blanket.

In America the word became confused with the tartan pattern itself. It eventually evolved as the term to describe any checkered pattern. What a shame!

The plaid as it is known by us Scottish, is the cloth hung over the shoulders of the pipers and drummers of Highland Pipe Bands and hanging almost to the ground.