Black Watch Tartan

Lt. Col. Ian McCulloch comments on the so-called "Tartan of the Black Watch Regiment":

"Just a friendly point from a former commanding officer of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada. The tartan's name is commonly "Black Watch" or more appropriately the Government Sett or Tartan (when I say government I mean British). The tartan doesn't belong to the Regiment, it belongs to Her Majesty and she grants the right to various regiments around the world to wear it.

"The first, of course to wear early variations of it was The Black Watch of Scotland, but many other fine regiments are also entitled to wear the British "Government Sett" including the Canadian Black Watch, The Calgary Highlanders, The Lanark & Renfrew Scottish, and the now defunct PEI Highlanders, all right here in Canada. The Black Watch tartan is also very much their regimental tartan and not the sole right or possession of the Imperial Black Watch.

"All Highland regiments of the British army (with the exception of the Cameron Highlanders) basically wear variations of the Government Sett or Black Watch tartan which are differentiated by the addition of extra red, yellow, white stripes superimposed on the original sett."

Yours aye

Ian Macpherson McCulloch
Lieutenant-Colonel
Deputy Director of History & Heritage
Dept of National Defence

Lest We Forget

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