
The Scottish Register of Tartans - 0xdada
https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/
======
mlmartin
The Debian GNU/Linux distribution has it's own tartan too, the interesting
detail being it contains morse code:

[https://wiki.debian.org/Tartan](https://wiki.debian.org/Tartan)

[https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartandetails?ref=5936](https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartandetails?ref=5936)

"This is the tartan of The Debian Project: an association of individuals who
work together to create a free operating system that is called Debian
GNU/Linux, or simply Debian for short. In 2007 Debian held its eighth annual
gathering of developers from all over the world in Edinburgh, and the tartan
was designed to celebrate that fact. The colours are references to various
logos: Reds for the Debian swirl, Blue for Captain Blue-Eyes (the old Debian
logo), and Yellow, Black & White for Tux, the Linux logo. If the image is
rotated 180 degrees, the White can be seen to be arranged so as to spell out
DEBIAN in Morse code (with a correct 1:3 ratio for dots to dashes, and for the
pauses in and between letters)."

~~~
tempodox
I was just about to remark that we should have tartans for programming
languages.

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ggm
The good thing about this, is it puts tartans into a modern IPR context and
sheds the Walter Scott fake history. It's no different to burberry
trademarking it's red flash check. All the clan/sept/hunting/dress stuff is a
giant fantasy of post Regency construction.

Harris Tweed on the other hand, is much more a "thing" and deserves its
restricted mark for heritage reasons.

Cornish sailors knitting patterns next!

~~~
arethuza
Yeah - a lot of traditions were "revived" (i.e. invented) for the visit of
King George IV to Scotland:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visit_of_King_George_IV_to_Sco...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visit_of_King_George_IV_to_Scotland)

Which is ironic given the almost ethnic cleaning levels of treatment given to
Highlanders and their culture following the '45 and the later Clearances:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Culloden#Aftermath](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Culloden#Aftermath)

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Clearances](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Clearances)

~~~
52-6F-62
I can loosely trace my family to those events. History gets blurry before the
clearances and the Jacobite revolution.

Fairlie and Kilmarnock in Ayrshire. After that the family was only listed in
Broxburn and Uphall mining towns outside of Edinburgh.

edit: Got a name wrong. Kilmarnock in Ayrshire, but also were around
Kirkliston near Edinburgh along with the other two towns later on.

~~~
SEJeff
The will of those people against the English was unbelievable.

During the siege of Caerlaverock Castle, 60 Scottsmen held off 3000 English
men along with about 87 English knights. It is also one of the most exquisite
castles in that it is triangular. If you ever are in Dumfries, you must see
it: [http://www.techandfacts.com/caerlaverock-castle-
scotland/](http://www.techandfacts.com/caerlaverock-castle-scotland/)

Edit: This poem from one of the king's heralds detailing the battle is
incredible: [https://fourteenthcenturyfiend.com/2017/02/03/the-siege-
of-c...](https://fourteenthcenturyfiend.com/2017/02/03/the-siege-of-
caerlaverock-castle-a-heralds-eye-witness-account/)

~~~
52-6F-62
My family (father's side) left Scotland and the company towns in the 30's and
we're planted in Canada.

Mother's side left much later—from Derry & Belfast in the early 60's—notably
to get away from the Troubles— but that's another thing altogether (yet still
rooted in English interference...).

Still it's long been on my list to visit. I still have family in Belfast and
Newcastle and some in Edinburgh and London. There's even an old Fairlie castle
I'd like to see. Reminder of what became a family of tradesmen used to be
haha... it's kind of striking to read back in family history and seeing a few
common names repeated again and again. Mine pops up in this article (namesake,
rather) —
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairlie_Castle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairlie_Castle)

Sadly, the family is noted as being extinct. We're still here, just not
reflective of what it was, I suppose.

~~~
SEJeff
And I can tell your family is Irish because you called it Derry, not London
Derry. I nearly got in a fistfight with an Irishmen over accidentally making
that distinction wrong.

Since 1/2 of my team is based out of London (I'm in the US), I go to the UK at
least once or twice per year and always take an extra week or two to see the
various other parts of the UK. Nice country overall.

~~~
dagw
_And I can tell your family is Irish because you called it Derry, not London
Derry._

I don't know. Lots of people in England also say Derry (the few times they
think about that part of the country at all). Even in Ireland most people in
my experience are pretty chill about it as long as you aren't an ass about it.

~~~
SEJeff
I was literally almost assaulted in Belfast by accidentally saying LondonDerry
when chatting with some locals. This isn't a theoretical, it happened just a
few years ago. I calmed the lad down and bought him a beer. We then had a
great time. The troubles may be over, but things are still not totally settled
down.

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sanat
This was on the 99 Percent Invisible episode this week. A great episode about
tartans.

[https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/plaid-articles-of-
int...](https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/plaid-articles-of-interest-2/)

------
Balgair
Tartans are always a great example of how computer science and algorithms got
their start: fabrics. From the Jenner Loom on up, there has been a long
relationship with textiles.

Some fun and semi-related tartan sites:

The list of US State Tartans:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_tartans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_tartans)

A Tartan warp sequence generator: [http://www.weddslist.com/cgi-
bin/tartans/pg.pl?source=sts#re...](http://www.weddslist.com/cgi-
bin/tartans/pg.pl?source=sts#result)

The above site is pretty neat! They have a GIANT list of recognized tartans,
with the warp sequences. In addition, you can input your own warp sequence.
Though I can't find evidence of the warp sequence being used as a messaging
platform, it's not hard to envision. Take some message, convert it to
hexadecimal (or some other method), put it in the weft, and viola! A 'secret'
message:

[http://www.weddslist.com/cgi-
bin/tartans/tartan.pl?col(g)=00...](http://www.weddslist.com/cgi-
bin/tartans/tartan.pl?col\(g\)=008000&col\(c\)=008080&col\(f\)=800040&col\(k\)=000000&warp=g10\(c6f6\)k10&ptrn=d1)

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pulisse
Out of curiosity I checked out the "New Tartans" page. The most recent item
is:

[https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanDetails?ref=12260](https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanDetails?ref=12260)

which, sadly, seems to have been registered on behalf of a white supremacist
cult.

~~~
jstanley
Why is that sad? It's a good thing that anybody can register a tartan
regardless of whether they are "desirable".

~~~
daleharvey
The fact that white supremist cults exist is saddening for a lot of people,
especially when having to share space / be reminded of them. Interesting usage
of the air quotes you have there.

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arethuza
As a Scot, I was _slightly_ surprised to see that this is actually an official
Scottish Government service!

Edit: I should have guessed by the domain.

~~~
fyfy18
I’m surprised Scotland doesn’t have its own TLD.

~~~
cbowal
They do - .scot!

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.scot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.scot)

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xvedejas
About a year ago I discovered that California has its own tartan pattern.
Unfortunately I was unable to find any manufacturer which currently makes a
flannel shirt in this pattern. It's a shame, the pattern is quite nice, but
it's unclear to me whether it's ever used anywhere.

~~~
labster
Most of the designs in the registry are not currently made, but you can order
a small run of fabric for handmade clothes. It would be more yardage than for
just one shirt though.

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eorge_g
Compaq Computers have a tartan too:

"Designed by Bill Alexander 1987, promoted by Eyedea Creative Consultancy Ltd
for the Compaq Computer Co, an American compay which set up business in
Scotland."

[https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanDetails?ref=726](https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanDetails?ref=726)

------
karnivol
Funny thing, there are registered tartans for Mars exploration and Earth
preservation activities.

~~~
omnibrain
And Clan MacDuck:
[https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanDetails?ref=2412](https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanDetails?ref=2412)

------
orthur_b
That is a weird way of paying by credit card they have:

In order for the customer to make a payment by credit/debit card we need:

1) the card number

2) the card expiry date;

3) the issue number if Maestro;

4) the last 3 digits of the card security number (on the reverse of the credit
card);

5) the cardholder's name and initials as displayed on the card; and

6) the cardholder's address. Please note that all of these details are
essential. Please also provide your reference (NRS/TR/Tartan Name).

Please telephone +44 (0)131 535 1395 to make payment by credit card.
[https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/fees](https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/fees)

~~~
teh_klev
What seems weird about those details? Seems to cover all the things you need
to make a payment over the phone.

~~~
oytis
Isn't paying with credit card over phone weird enough? Anyone eavesdropping on
the phone line gets full access to your card details, not to say that the
person on the other side of the line gets it.

Normally I would expect an https-protected webform of a trusted payment
processor.

~~~
bovermyer
Are you sure this is as uncommon as you suggest?

~~~
oytis
I have seen it only once so far when one minor German publisher asked me to
send the same details per snail-mail. Luckily they also had other options.

I can't really know how common it is in UK, never been there, but I would
definitely be surprised.

~~~
jkaplowitz
Can confirm it's normal enough in both Canada and the US, though the security
code is only sometimes requested. I don't have knowledge either way about this
question for the UK.

