Clan MacFarlane Tartan, Crest and Portrait Postcard

Clan MacFarlane Tartan Postcard from the Clans Collection from Lang Syne.

Card Features MacFarlane Tartan, Clansman’s Crest Badge, and 19th Century  Portrait from the McIan Collection, of a MacFarlane Clansman wearing the original black and red MacFarlane Tartan.

R.R McIan 1803 – 1856

The Victorian era was the great age of romanticism and nowhere was this more evident that at Queen Victoria’s Scottish home of Balmoral Castle on Deeside. She and her consort Prince Albert were ardent fans of all things ‘Highland’ and enthusiastically embraced the world of tartan.Born in 1803, Robert Ronald McIan became an actor and he too became enthralled with tartans. McIan was also something of a painter and with the encouragement and collaboration of his friend James Logan, utilised those skills to produce The Clans of the Scottish Highlands.

McIan’s stage background is evident in many of his illustrations which are theatrical in the extreme. They’re also lacking the great detail of the miniaturist McLeay but they do form the most complete record of Highland dress of the day and are extremely popular for framing and displaying in offices, pubs and dens.

Back reads:

Clan: MacFarlane

Motto: This I’ll Defend

Crest: A demi savage brandishing in his right hand a broadsword,and pointing with his left to an imperial crown.

This clan is of Celtic origin. The first chief descended from the Earls of Lennox in the 13th century. The Clan lands were principally on the western shores of Loch Lomond. The Clan fought against Mary Queen of Scots at the Battle of Langside. in 1608 they were outlawed for killing the Chief of Clan Colquhoun. The Chiefship is Dormant.

Approved by the standing council of Scottish Chiefs.