English: A common but not dominant version of the main tartan of Clan Gordon. It is based on
that of the 92nd (Gordon Highlanders) Regiment of Foot, but with thinner black bands and with black guard lines added around the yellow over-check. The design allegedly dates to 1793, but this is actually the year of the 92nd's original version; when the changes were made and the clan adopted it is actually uncertain. According to the House of Gordon USA website
[1], the "official" clan tartan is actually identical to the Gordon Highlanders regimental version, without the black guard lines around the yellow. But this is not the same as a proclamation by the clan chief in Scotland. (Other variants of this tartan exist, but are even more disused, including one with Black Watch's single and double black over-checks, instead of just double ones, collected ca. 1930–1950
[2]; another with multiple yellow over-checks, ca. 1930–1950
[3]; and another with multiple yellow and red over-checks from the
Vestiarium Scotium in 1842
[4]). This image is exactly full-sett, and can tile horizontally and vertically. Scottish Register of Tartans notes on this pattern (minus unsourced assertions they pulled off some clan website): "The Gordon tartan is the regimental tartan of the famous Gordon Highlanders and was selected by the Alexander, the 4th Duke from a choice of three submitted by William Forsyth, a weaver and outfitter from the town of Huntly. Forsyth wrote on 15th April 1793 'When I had the honour of communing with His Grace the Duke of Gordon, he was desirous to have patterns of the 42nd Regiment plaid with a small yellow stripe properly placed. I imagine the yellow stripes will appear very lively.'" Most of this material actually applies to the 92nd's original tartan (see Barnes & Allen (1956),
The Uniforms & History of the Scottish Regiments, p. 86–87). This is a repeating not mirroring tartan. SRT-provided thread count (in "..." notation): ...B46 K6 B6 K6 B6 K34 G44 K4 Y8 K4 G44 K34 B44 K6 B6 K6 B44 K34 G44 K4 Y8 K4 G44 K34 B6 K6 B6 K6...