Image: 78th Highlanders Ross-shire Buffs and 72nd Seaforth's Highlanders tartan, offset

Description: The tartan of the 78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot also known as the Ross-shire Buffs, raised 1793. It was also used by the 72nd (formerly 78th), the original Seaforth Highland Regiment, raised 1778, later Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders; and by 71st (Highland) Regiment (formerly 73rd), a.k.a. MacLeod's Highlanders, raised 1777–8 (not to be confused with 71st Fraser's). It was early on named the Mackenzie–MacLeod sett, after the commanding officers of the 72nd and 71st. In lightened form (and with very slightly different proportions), it later became the Clan Mackenzie tartan (and a variant with yellow in place of white became one of the Clan MacLeod tartans). The lightened clan version was also used by the 1881-onward amalgamated Seaforth Highlanders, and by later Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons), and by some modern units as sett "Government 5A". This image is not exactly full-sett, and cannot tile horizontally and vertically; this offset version was created to show the pattern more clearly and for tabular comparison to other regimental tartans. Scottish Register of Tartans notes on this pattern: "The 78th Highlanders Ross-shire Buffs were raised in 1793 by Frances Humbertson Mackenzie (1754 - 1815). In 1881 they were amalgamated with the 72nd Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders to form the Seaforth Highlanders. The Duke of Albany's Own had been raised in 1778 by Kenneth, last Earl of Seaforth as the 72nd Highlanders." SRT notes from the related Mackenzie entiry: "Threadcount recorded by Kenneth F. Mackenzie in the Public Register of all Arms and Bearings in Scotland, 37/127, 27 December 1949. The Mackenzie is the regimental tartan of the Seaforth Highlanders, who were raised by MacKenzie, Earl of Seaforth, in 1778. ... Wilson's 1819 pattern book records various widths and weights of cloth suitable for the different ranks in the regiment. In 'The Clan and Family Tartans of Scotland' (1850), W and A Smith of Mauchline wrote: 'Both the 71st and 78th Regiments now wear the Tartan common to the MacLeods and the MacKenzies.' This sett is also recorded in Clans Originaux (1880)." This is a usual, mirroring tartan. SRT-provided thread count (in "/" notation): /B60 K10 B10 K10 B10 K62 G62 K6 W14 K6 G62 K62 B62 K6 R14/ (or in boldfacing notation: B60 K10 B10 K10 B10 K62 G62 K6 W14 K6 G62 K62 B62 K6 R14).
Title: 78th Highlanders Ross-shire Buffs and 72nd Seaforth's Highlanders tartan, offset
Credit: Own work
Author: SMcCandlish, made with the old Windows program Textile32
Permission: Public domain
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
License: CC0
License Link: http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en
Attribution Required?: No