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Do the Pringles have a Tartan?
There is no traditional clan tartan for the Pringle clan. The Pringles are a Lowland clan, not a Highland clan so we didn't ever wear Tartan Kilts. As Borderers it would be more appropriate for Pringles to wear Tweed and trews rather than highland kilts.
However there are some ‘District Tartans’ that are suitable for Pringle use, as they are local to the area where the Pringles originate. The oldest is called ‘Gala Water Tartan’(Wilsons of Bannockburn, 1793), the second is ‘Roxburgh Red Tartan’(Patterson's, pre-1850), and a new tartan called ‘Ettrick Forest Tartan’(Lochcarron, 1995).
There are three styles of Gala Water (Gallowater) tartan, as illustrated to the right:
James Pringle of Torwoodlee and the Braw Lads of Gala, however wear ‘Shepherd Tartan’ (also known as 'Border Riever Tartan' or 'Northumberland Tartan'). Sir Walter Scott was the first to have a pair of trews made from Shepherd Tartan, and his Shepherd tartan plaid is still in Bowhill House. It is a basic black and white check pattern sett. See: Wikipedia - Border Tartan and www.northumberlandtartan.co.uk.
There are several variations of Shepherd Tartan:Buccleuch Check, 9 squares (Ballantynes of Walkerburn, 1908).Haig Check, 6 squares (1908).Kerr Shepherd's Plaid Designed for the Chief of Clan Kerr the Marquis of Lothian KCVO of Ferniehurst.Sir Walter Scott Check (Gardiners, 1971), not to be confused with Scott, Sir Walter (Personal tartan, 1822).Burns Check (Burns Federation, 1959).
 Also included to the right is a picture of the modern ‘Pringle Tartan,’ created by the weaver Ken Dalgleish of Selkirk in 1998.
If you would like to purchase some Galawater or Shepherd Tartan, I recommend the following weavers:
James Pringle Weavers Of Inverness
Holm Woollen Mill, Dores Road, Inverness, Scotland. IV2 4RB.
Phone Number : 01463 223311 www.ewm.co.uk
The above company is now part of the Edinburgh Woolen Mill (www.ewm.co.uk), but in 1996 they registered a commercial tartan for their staff to wear in the James Pringle Shop in Inverness, it’s called ‘James Pringle Tartan’.
They also have a warehouse at the port of Leith:
James Pringle Shopping Warehouse at Leith MillsBangor Road, Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH6 5JU.Tel: 0131 553 5161. Or you could try Lochcarron of Scotland Waverley Mill, Dunsdale Road, Selkirk, Scottish Borders, TD7 5DZ.Tel: 01750 726 100. www.lochcarron.com
Further Information:
TartansAuthority.com - The Scottish Tartans Authority.
TartanRegister.gov.uk - The Scottish Register of Tartans, National Archives of Scotland
ScottishTartans.org - Scottish Tartans Museum, NC, USA. Resources.scottishtartans.org
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