Kit yourself out in Head of the Lakes tartan — kilts and outfits, fabric by the metre, plus scarves, ties and sashes, each made to order in your chosen finish.
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Highland Dress in the Head of the Lakes Tartan
Order a made-to-measure Head of the Lakes kilt or full outfit tailored to your measurements. Add a jacket, sporran, belt and hose to finish the look for weddings, ceilidhs and Highland games.
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Accessories & Gifts in Head of the Lakes Tartan
Shop Head of the Lakes tartan scarves, ties, sashes and gift pieces. Smaller items are ideal presents and ship quickly when in stock.
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Fabric & Cloth in Head of the Lakes Tartan
Pick up Head of the Lakes tartan fabric by the length for sewing, upholstery or accessories. Weights and swatches are listed so you can match your project exactly.
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Custom Orders & Worldwide Shipping
We ship Head of the Lakes tartan orders worldwide with tracked options at checkout. Custom sizes and group orders are welcome — just ask if you need advice.
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Head of the Lakes Tartan: Ancient, Modern, Weathered & Dress
Where more than one finish is offered, the Head of the Lakes tartan can come in Modern (deep, strong shades), Ancient (lighter, softer tones), Weathered (muted, aged look) and Dress (brighter, more formal). Choose on each product page.
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Each tartan can feature several variations, with the most common being Ancient, Modern, Weathered, Hunting and Dress.
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Ancient Tartan
Before 1860, all fabric dyes came from nature — plants, berries, bark, and insects. The colours they produced were softer and more muted than what we're used to today: think mossy greens, dusty sky blues, and reds with a warm, orangey tone. A lot of people actually prefer Ancient tartans for this reason — the gentler contrasts let the pattern breathe and stand out in a way that bolder colours sometimes don't. Worth knowing: the pattern itself, called the sett, is exactly the same across all variations of a tartan. It's only the colours that change.
Modern Tartan
Modern tartans came about after 1860, when chemical dyes replaced natural ones. The difference is pretty striking. Those soft, earthy greens became deep bottle green. Pale blues turned into rich navy. Reds went from warm and muted to full-on scarlet. If you're after something bold and vivid, Modern is usually the one to go for. It's the version most people picture when they think of a classic tartan.
Weathered Tartan
Weathered tartans take their inspiration from what happens to fabric left out in the elements — faded by sun, softened by rain, worn in by time. The colours shift towards olive greens, warm browns, and very pale blues, with reds that fade down to something close to a dusty pink. It's a more rustic, lived-in look, and honestly a really beautiful one. If you want something that feels a little more understated and natural, Weathered is worth a look.
Hunting Tartan
Hunting tartans are essentially the camouflage version of a clan's tartan — greens and browns brought forward so the wearer could move through the landscape without standing out. Not every clan has one, and that's by design. If a tartan is already mostly green or brown (like the Black Watch or Gunn), there's no need to adapt it. But a tartan like the Fraser, which is predominantly red, would make someone very easy to spot in the field — so a Hunting version makes a lot of sense for clans like that.
Dress Tartan
Dress tartans were made for the big occasions — Highland games, celebrations, and traditional dance. The pattern stays the same, but the main colour is swapped out for white, or extra white is woven in to give it a lighter, more formal feel. As you'd expect from the Scots, the rules get bent every now and then — yellow has been used instead of white in some cases, which is exactly how the famously bold MacLeod Dress Modern and Barclay Dress Modern came to be.
Where does the name Head of the Lakes Tartan come from?
History is not just about the past, it's the thread that connects us to our present and defines our future.
The Clan's Lament echoes still across the waters, a pìobaireachd that speaks of loss, honour, and the eternal bond.
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Craftsmanship defined by tradition, designed for the modern era.
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