Ancient Campbell Wool Tartan with Cotton Velvet   2 /4 (30cm)

Turn the cushion over for a different personality.

Tartan on one side velvet on the other

Ancient Campbell is the same as Black Watch tartan—hardly surprising, since three of the Independent Companies raised in 1725 to keep peace in the Highlands were led by Campbells:  Sir Duncan Campbell of Lochnell, John Campbell of Carrick and Colin Campbell of Skipness.  When the Companies were brought together in 1739 to form the regiment known as The Black Watch (Gaelic: Am Freiceadan Dubh), the uniform was standardized to the “Black Watch Tartan,” also known as “The Government Tartan”. (Indeed, as Alastair Lorne Campbell of Airds, Chief Executive of Clan Campbell, has indicated in his authoritative booklet, “Campbell Tartan,” the Black Watch tartan may well have been adopted as the clan’s tartan because so many members of the clan were already wearing it, owing to their service in the regiment.)

The Black Watch tartan is today usually made in darker shades of green and blue, while Ancient Campbell is made in lighter, brighter shades. Some Campbells wear the lighter Ancient Campbell for day wear and the darker Black Watch for evening and formal wear–the important point being that they are the same tartan. Remember, it is the “sett”, or thread count of a tartan that distinguishes it from other tartans, not the comparative lightness or darkness of their colours, which in early days could vary greatly due to the unpredictable nature of vegetable dyes. So, caveat emptor: before you buy anything purporting to be Ancient Campbell or Black Watch tartan, be sure it has the correct sett, with first one pair of black “railroad tracks” on the blue, and then two pair, then one pair, and so on.