This is a list of tartans from around the world that are commonly used for Highland dress. The examples shown below are generally emblematic of a particular association. However, for each clan or family, there are often numerous other official or unofficial variations. There are also innumerable tartan designs that are not affiliated with any group but were simply created for aesthetic reasons (and which are not within the scope of this list).
British royal and noble tartans
Tartans in this section are those that are (at least ostensibly) of the current or former British royal family or of individual British nobility members.
Image Association Origin Notes House of Stuart/Stewart Highland clans, Scottish royalty The Royal Stuart (or Royal Stewart) tartan, first published in 1831, is the best-known tartan of the royal House of Stuart/Stewart, and is one of the most recognizable tartans. Today, it is worn by the regimental pipers of the Black Watch, Scots Guards, and Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, among other official and organisational uses. It is commonly worn by the general public as a British symbol, though in theory it is the individual property of Charles III. House of Stuart/Stewart Highland clans, Scottish royalty Another "royal" tartan of the House of Stuart/Stewart. It was referred to by George V as "my personal tartan", though it appeared in the Vestiarium Scoticum at least 23 years before his birth. While the work's historical claims have been shown to be spurious, it described the design as the "clanne Stewart tartan", and the work was popular, so the tartan would have been familiar before George's birth in 1865. It is worn officially today by the regimental pipers of the Scots Guards, and remains in common civilian use as a Stewart/Stuart clan tartan. Duke of Rothesay Highland clans; Scottish royalty The individual tartan of the Duke of Rothesay, a dynastic title of the heir-apparent to the British (and formerly separate Scottish) throne; currently Prince William. William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton Lowlands, Scottish nobility Prince Charles Edward Stuart tartan Scottish nobility Essentially the Royal Stewart tartan but with a much-reduced red square. William Wilson & Sons of Bannockburn included it in their 1819 Key Pattern Book Balmoral tartan c. 1850, reputedly designed by Prince Albert Personal tartan of the British royal family. King Charles III tartan Designed by The Scottish Tartans Authority in 2023 Personal tartan intended for the private use of His Majesty King Charles III, created in the year of his coronation. Based on the Balmoral and Duke of Rothesay tartan setts, using a muted/faded color palette matching the natural dyes of surviving 18th-century tartan specimens in historic collections. May only be woven with written permission from The Scottish Tartans Authority under instruction from the Royal Household.
UK military or government tartans A number of tartans, worn by UK military units, are known as government tartans, and are defined in a standard currently maintained by Defence Equipment and Support within the Ministry of Defence. They are known by a number, a name, or both. The commonest in regimental use today are royal Stewart (to which a number was not assigned); Government 1, Black Watch; and Government 1A, Sutherland district (a slightly lighter form of Black Watch, and specifically with a lighter green – general-public fashion use often has a lighter blue instead or in addition).
For military wear, there are official specifications for the size of the full repeat (tile) of the sett (tartan pattern), which vary by tartan (e.g. 34.5 cm × 34.5 cm for Government 1A). In kilt form, the tartans are worn with the central vertical line of the sett on the kilt's front apron running in-line with the buttons of the jacket and with the belt buckle; and the sett horizontally centred between the top of the sporran and the bottom of the belt buckle. Exactly how the kilt is pleated (knife or box pleats, and presenting which colour at the pleat edge) varies by unit.
The following table includes those government tartans worn by UK military units as from the 2006 creation of the Royal Regiment of Scotland onwards. Some other units may wear a named clan tartan without it being defined by this standard; these are covered in a second table below. For the Royal Regiment of Scotland, the pipes and drums in each battalion wear the uniform of their antecedent regiment (as listed below) for ceremonial dress purposes, but the Royal Regiment's standard Government 1A for non-ceremonial (and non-combat) undress purposes. +ImageNumberNameCurrent units worn by; notes1Black Watch or "Government"Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 Scots) drummers and drum major; inherited in succession from Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment), and 42nd Regiment of Foot.
The tartan is also among the most common in civilian use, under various names like old Campbell, hunting Grant, hunting Munro, etc. (often somewhat lightened).1ASutherland districtRoyal Regiment of Scotland (1–7 Scots) including bands (undress, aside from combat-order fatigues; kilts or trews, depending on climate and duties)
51st Highland Volunteers (7 Scots) drummers and drum major; inherited from Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
A partially lightened version of Black Watch (No. 1). Though named "Sutherland", this light-green version is particular to regimental use; civilian use of Sutherland district tartan is generally with light blue instead. It is also unrelated to the Clan Sutherland tartan.3GordonFormerly worn by the Gordon Highlanders.4Cameron of ErrachtHighlanders (4 Scots) pipers, pipe major, drummers, and drum major; inherited from the Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) pipers and drummers.5A(formerly 2)MacKenzieRoyal Highland Fusiliers (2 Scots) drum major and duty bugler (trews); inherited from Royal Scots Fusiliers and Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment) upon their amalgamation.6DouglasRoyal Gurkha Rifles pipers (trews and plaids); inherited from 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles.7LeslieFormer Royal Scots Borderers (1 Scots) drummers (trews); disbanded in 2021; inherited from King's Own Scottish Borderers.8(or 8A)Hunting StewartFormer Royal Scots Borderers (1 Scots) drum major (trews); disbanded in 2021; inherited from Royal Scots. Tayforth UOTC, including in kilt form inherited from the Dandy Ninth.9Forbes11Red ErskineRoyal Highland Fusiliers (2 Scots) pipers, pipe major, and drummersRoyal StewartBlack Watch (3 Scots) pipers and pipe major
51st Highland Volunteers (7 Scots) pipers and pipe major
Scots Guards pipers
Royal Scots Dragoon Guards pipers
Former Royal Scots Borderers (1 Scots) pipers and pipe major; disbanded in 2021.Hunting RoseRoyal Tank Regiment pipes and drums, and officers in black-tie
A number of other tartans are, since 2014, no longer listed as official uniform material by the Defence Clothing (DC) division of the Ministry of Defence, and "DC do not purchase or hold any of the cloth", but remain in use by some units' pipe bands and may be permitted for some other uses, such as uniform cap cockades, though are "unfunded" (must be provided by the units out of their own budgets). No. 1A was listed among these no-longer-official tartans in 2014, but in 2019 was included in the official tartans of the entire Royal Regiment of Scotland, so something clearly changed during that period.
+ImageNumberNameCurrent units worn by; notes15Red Grant32nd Signal Regiment bandsmen; also used for the diamond-shaped cockade backing the badge on the regular uniform cap.
Royal Corps of Signals pipers
The regimental version of this tartan differs somewhat from the clan version.16Red MacDuff154 (Scottish) Regiment RLC pipers and drummers; also used for the diamond-shaped cockade backing the badge on the regular uniform cap. This source suggests that the tartan is "red MacDuff (ancient)", but it is clear from photographs that the unit does not wear the tartan in the de-saturated "ancient" palette; see e.g.:
The regimental version of this tartan differs somewhat from the clan version.
Another tartan was created in 2018 (approved in 2020) in honour of the Royal Logistic Corps, but it is for civilian use and is a fundraiser for the RLC's MoD Benevolent fund; it is not used for regimental uniform.18Red Robertson19Hunting Fraser22MacDonald of the Isles23MacDonald of KeppochHunting Robertson19th Regiment Royal Artillery bandsmenMurray of AthollFife and Forfar Yeomanry/Scottish Horse (C Squadron of the Queen's Own Yeomanry); inherited from the original Scottish Horse.
It is unclear from available official documentation what tartans (ones apparently no longer in British military use at all) correspond to the serial numbers now missing from the specifications: 5, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, 21, 23, 24, and 25.
Scottish clan tartans
The tartans in this list are those ascribed to particular clans of Scotland, including Highland, Lowland, Isles, and Borders clans. Their statuses vary widely; armigerous clans generally accept them, while some have been officially adopted or rejected by a clan chief, which may often include tartans made for certain districts.