From Kilts to Couture | The Evolution of Clan Ross!
The Ross tartan is the clan tartan of Clan Ross, a Highland clan whose lands lay in Ross-shire in the north of Scotland. It is woven in three recognised forms, the Ross Red, the Ross Dress and the Ross Hunting, and it is worn by Rosses and by the many families connected to the clan. This guide covers where the clan came from, what each tartan looks like, and how the cloth is worn today.
The name itself is old. It comes from ros, a Celtic word for a promontory or headland, which describes the coast the clan took its name from. The family is on record from the 12th century.
Below, the three setts side by side, the clan history behind them, and what to wear each one for.
The Storied History of Clan Ross
Clan Ross is on record from the 12th century. Its crest badge is a dexter hand holding a garland of laurel, and the motto is Spem Successus Alit, which translates as “Success nourishes hope”. The clan took its name and its lands from Ross-shire, and its historic seat is Balnagown Castle in Easter Ross.
The first chief on record is Fearchar Mac an t-Sagairt, whose name means “son of the priest” and whose family descended from the hereditary abbots of Applecross. He supported Alexander II against rebellion in the north and by 1234 he was recognised with the title Earl of Ross. The earldom kept the clan at the centre of Scottish affairs for the next two centuries.
The chiefship passed to David Campbell Ross of Ross and Balnagowan, and following his death in 2024 his daughter, Fiona Campbell Ross of Ross and Balnagowan, was recognised as chief by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. Details of the clan’s history and heraldry are recorded in the Clan Ross entry on Wikipedia.
The Three Ross Tartans
Clan Ross does not have one tartan, it has three, and knowing which is which saves a good deal of confusion when you order.
- Ross Red. The best known of the three and the one most people mean by “the Ross tartan”. A strong red ground crossed by dark green and navy, with fine white and black lines.
- Ross Dress. A lighter version built on a white ground, woven in modern and ancient shades. Dress tartans were traditionally associated with dancing and formal wear.
- Ross Hunting. A muted green-based sett, woven in modern, ancient and weathered shades, intended for daywear and the outdoors rather than formal occasions.
All three are woven to order in our Ross tartan collection, in modern, ancient and weathered shades, as kilts, skirts, scarves, ties, sashes and fabric by the yard.
Ross Tartan: A Symbol of Pride and Honor
A clan tartan is a badge as much as a cloth. Wearing the Ross sett is a straightforward way for Rosses, and for the families connected to the clan, to show which line they belong to at a wedding, a Highland games or a clan gathering. That is the whole of its meaning, and it is enough.
One caution worth stating plainly. Clan tartans as fixed, named patterns are largely a product of the 19th century revival that followed George IV’s visit to Edinburgh in 1822 and the tartan pattern books that came after it. The Ross setts are not medieval, and claims that particular colours carry particular meanings are modern invention rather than recorded history. What is true is that these patterns have been worn by the clan for the better part of two centuries, which is heritage enough without embroidering it.
Crafting Authentic Ross Tartan Garments:
Ross tartan cloth today is mill-woven rather than hand-woven, on looms set to the recorded thread count of the sett so that every run matches the last. We weave ours in premium acrylic yarn, which holds its colour, resists creasing and is machine washable, and we keep the recipe on file so a later order matches the first.
From that cloth comes everything from Ross tartan kilts and jackets to scarves, ties and sashes. Every garment is cut to the measurements you send us rather than to a size chart, with standard delivery in two to three weeks.
Wearing the Ross Tartan with Distinction!
The Ross tartan works across the whole range of Highland dress. For a formal occasion, a wedding, a Burns supper or a clan dinner, the Ross Red sett in a kilt with a black Argyll or Prince Charlie jacket is the safe and correct choice. For daywear, the Hunting sett in a tweed jacket reads quieter and suits an afternoon outdoors.
Women wear the sett as a tartan sash pinned at the shoulder with a brooch, or as a kilted skirt. The sash is the traditional way for a woman to show her clan, and it works over plain evening dress without competing with it.
The sett is not only for formal wear. The same cloth is made up as tartan scarves , bags and purses and smaller accessories, which is how most people wear their clan tartan day to day. A scarf in the Ross sett is the least demanding way to carry the clan without wearing full Highland dress.
Preserving Scottish Heritage with the Ross Tartan!
Tartans survive because people keep ordering them. Mills hold the thread counts, registers such as the Scottish Register of Tartans hold the records, and families keep the setts in use by commissioning kilts, sashes and ties for the occasions that matter to them. A pattern that stops being worn stops being woven.
If you carry the Ross name, or descend from a family connected to the clan, the Ross setts are yours to wear. There is no permission to seek and no rule that restricts a clan tartan to people of that surname.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ross tartan?
The Ross tartan is the clan tartan of Clan Ross, a Highland clan from Ross-shire in the north of Scotland. There are three recognised Ross setts: Ross Red, Ross Dress and Ross Hunting, each woven in modern, ancient and weathered shades.
What does the Ross tartan look like?
The best known version, Ross Red, is a strong red ground crossed by dark green and navy with fine white and black lines. Ross Dress is the same idea on a white ground. Ross Hunting is a muted green sett for daywear.
What is the Ross clan crest and motto?
The crest badge is a dexter hand holding a garland of laurel. The motto is Spem Successus Alit, meaning “Success nourishes hope”. Clan members wear the crest inside a strap and buckle carrying the motto.
Who is the chief of Clan Ross?
Fiona Campbell Ross of Ross and Balnagowan, recognised as chief by the Lord Lyon King of Arms following the death of her father, David Campbell Ross, in 2024. The clan’s historic seat is Balnagown Castle in Easter Ross.
Can I wear the Ross tartan if I am not a Ross?
Yes. There is no rule restricting a clan tartan to people of that surname, and many people wear a sett simply because they like it or have a family connection through a mother or grandmother. Rosses and those descended from the clan wear it as a matter of course.
Where can I buy a Ross tartan kilt?
Our Ross Bespoke Kilt is cut to your own measurements in the Ross sett of your choice, Red, Dress or Hunting, in modern, ancient or weathered shades. Skirts, scarves, ties, sashes and fabric by the yard are woven in the same setts.
