Argyll Tartans
Argyll Tartans · Scotland
Tartans of Argyll and the western Highlands
Campbell country — but not only Campbell. Argyll, the western Highland kingdom that runs from Kintyre to Lorn, gave Scotland the Campbells of Inveraray, the MacDougalls of Dunollie, the MacLachlans of Cowal, the Lamonts, the MacArthurs, and the MacLeans of Mull. The Highland Boundary line passes through Argyll; so does the dialect line between Lowland Scots and Gaelic.
Argyll — the western Highland kingdom
Argyll — from the Gaelic Oirthir Ghàidheal, 'coast of the Gaels' — was the earliest Gaelic kingdom in Scotland. The Dál Riata Scots crossed from Ireland to Argyll in the 5th and 6th centuries; the Scottish royal house traces back to Kenneth MacAlpin, an Argyll Gael. Western Argyll formed the bridgehead between Gaelic Ireland and what would become Scotland.
From the 15th century, the Earls (later Dukes) of Argyll dominated the region. The Campbells, working as Crown agents, extended their power across western Scotland by alliance, force, and the famously methodical accumulation of charters. They were Protestant, pro-Stuart in the 17th century then anti-Stuart in the 18th, and stand at the centre of more Scottish political history than any other clan.
Other major Argyll families — MacDougall of Dunollie, MacLachlan of Strathlachlan, Lamont of Cowal, MacArthur, MacIntyre of Glen Noe, MacLean of Mull — sometimes allied with the Campbells and sometimes opposed them. Their tartans are widely registered and worn, especially in modern Australia and New Zealand where Argyll emigrants were heavily represented in 19th-century settlement.
Argyll is officially Highland but culturally a crossroads — if your roots are Argyll, you can wear either Highland or Argyll-specific tartans confidently.
The Argyll clans
Campbell
The senior Highland clan in surviving political power. Five major tartans: Black Watch (originally Campbell), Campbell Modern, Campbell Ancient, Campbell of Cawdor, Campbell of Loudoun.
MacDougall
Older than the Campbells in Argyll. Descended from Somerled and Dougall, brother to the first MacDonald. Dunollie Castle near Oban is the chiefly seat.
Lamont
One of the oldest Argyll families. Suffered badly in the 1646 massacre at Dunoon. The chief is Lamont of Lamont, currently resident in Australia.
MacLachlan
Castle Lachlan on Loch Fyne. The MacLachlan tartan is one of the cleaner Argyll setts — a clear red, green, and blue.
MacArthur
Allied with the Campbells. Famously the MacArthurs were said to be 'older than the hills' — an old Highland saying. Hereditary pipers to the MacDonalds of Sleat.
MacIntyre
Hereditary pipers to the Campbells. The MacIntyre tartan is widely worn and the chiefship is now held by a family resident in Canada.
MacLean
Duart Castle on Mull is the chiefly seat — restored by Sir Fitzroy MacLean in 1911. Strong presence in Nova Scotia (Cape Breton) via 19th-century emigration.
MacNaughton
An older Argyll clan that lost most of its lands by the 17th century. The MacNaughton tartan is recognised though the surviving chiefs live in Northern Ireland.
What to wear if your roots are Argyll
Argyll heritage covers a large slice of Highland-coded Scottish DNA — especially if your family went to Nova Scotia, Australia, or New Zealand.
- Your specific Argyll clan tartan — if your surname is Campbell, MacDougall, Lamont, MacLachlan, MacArthur, MacIntyre, MacLean, MacNaughton, or any Argyll branch.
- The Argyll District Tartan — if you know your roots are Argyll but not the specific clan — an honest regional choice.
- Black Watch — the original Campbell military tartan, now universal. Appropriate for anyone with Campbell or Argyll roots, and respectful as a regimental sett.
- Isle of Mull Tartan — if your family came from Mull or the surrounding islands. A modern district tartan.
Argyll family or general Highland?
Argyll is technically Highland, but the tartans here cover a more specific western Scottish heritage. Use the Clan Finder to identify your family.