There is every reason to esteem this tartan of early date. Possessing
many characteristics of old design, it figures as Strathallan
Drummond in most of the trustworthy collections, including those of
The Mackintosh of Mackintosh, the Campbells of Craignish, and Messrs
Romanes & Paterson, Edinburgh. An example of undoubted antiquity is
held by the Editor. In 1812 David, sixth Earl of Airlie, head of the
house of Ogilvy, married Clementina, only child of Gavin Drummond,
Esq., the third son of James Drummond of Keltie by Clementina, sister
and co-heiress of Alexander Graham of Duntrune, who was heir male of
John, Viscount of Dundee. On this event the tartan here represented, up
to that time known as Strathallan, appears to have been adopted by the
Earl and some other branches of the family, and in the course of time
the design came to be styled the Ogilvy, which is now its customary
designation; the ground has sometimes been made blue instead of green.
The appropriation is somewhat extraordinary, because the Ogilvys
possess a fine tartan of their own (Plate XXX.), which can be traced at
least as far back as last century. Mr and Mrs Nisbet-Hamilton-Ogilvy
have an interesting portrait (ascribed to Allan Ramsay) of David, Lord
Ogilvy, afterwards sixth Earl of Airlie (attainted), who raised a body
of cavalry for Prince Charles Edward and fought at Culloden. The coat
displays a simple check in red and blue, and the plaid an effective
tartan scheme in these colours. Indeed, the picture is supposed to
represent the uniform of Ogilvy’s Horse of 1745-46.
[Illustration: VII. DRUMMOND OF STRATHALLAN]