The Glen Affric Tartan: Decoding a Unique Survivor

Peter Eslea MacDonald, will explore the discovery, analysis and reconstruction of a piece of tartan found in a peat bog in Glen Affric. ABOUT THE LECTURE What to expect Peter Eslea MacDonald, will explore the discovery, analysis and reconstruction of a piece of tartan found in a peat bog in Glen Affric in the north-west highlands over forty years ago. Several colours with multiple stripes of different sizes can be seen in the fragment confirming that it corresponds to what people would think of as tartan. Painstaking scientific research identified the colours involved, and subsequent Carbon14 testing dated the piece to circa 1500-1600 AD, making it the oldest known surviving specimen of a true tartan in Scotland. In Scotland, surviving examples of old textiles are rare as the soil is not conducive to their survival. As the piece was buried in peat, it had no exposure to air and was therefore preserved in remarkably good condition. The expertly spun and woven cloth is high-quality material suggests it belonged to someone of status. Who might have owned it and how it came to be buried in a remote glen are part of the fascinating story surrounding this specimen. The remnant comes from a time well before the invention of clan tartans and offers a unique window into what would later become Scotland’s textile icon. ​ABOUT THE SPEAKER Peter Eslea MacDonald is an internationally recognised Tartan Historian. He has been studying tartan for the past 40 years and is the leading authority on 18th and early 19th century patterns and techniques. He has lectured widely, including in; USA, Canada, Japan, Korea, and New Zealand. Peter is the honorary Head of Research at The Scottish Tartans Authority and in that capacity was privileged to design the King Charles II tartan for His Majesty The King. Peter was awarded OBE in The King’s Birthday honours List 2025 for services to the Tartan Industry.