history Buffalo checks
MacGregor red and black. Rob Roy. Buffalo check. The iconic red and black check tartan has changed names, origin stories and significance since it was first registered in 1704 by clan MacGregor.
history Buffalo checks
The iconic red and black check tartan has changed names, origin stories and significance since it was first registered in 1704 by clan MacGregor. After the Jacobite rebellion in 1745, tartan became even more important to the Scottish Highlanders as a symbol of their independence. The checked tartan of clan MacGregor was renamed ‘Rob Roy’ for the Scottish folk hero of independence.
When Scottish immigrants brought the Rob Roy to the United States, it became popular with Native Americans and settlers for its vivid hues and sturdy weave. It became known as ‘buffalo check’ or ‘buffalo plaid’ because the first trader of the pattern happened to own a small herd of buffalo. It’s been known as buffalo check ever since – and worn continuously too.