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MacInnes Tartan (TS189)

From the Tartans of Scotland web page:

"The 'red tartan' mentioned is the old Dress MacInnes Tartan. Sometimes
erroneously referred to as the 'Innes' tartan and worn for many years as such."

"John MacInnes based his green Hunting MacInnes Tartan, designed at the turn of the
the last century, on the older red tartan. A comparison of these tartans shows
clearly the similarity." (reference MacInnes of Onich tartan)

"Thomas Smibert published a book in 1850 entitled the Clans of the Highlands of
Scotland in which he assumed the MacInneses and Inneses were the same clan.( Dr
Patrick Barden an expert on Scottish Heraldry made exactly the same mistake when
we were talking a couple of months ago) Smibert is the root of the confusion !
This error was compounded by Sir Thomas Innes of Learney the late Lord Lyon."

" Thomas Smibert published a book in 1850 entitled the Clans of the Highlands of
Scotland in which he assumed the MacInneses and Inneses were the same clan.( Dr
Patrick Barden an expert on Scottish Heraldry made exactly the same mistake when
we were talking a couple of months ago) Smibert is the root of the confusion !
This error was compounded by Sir Thomas Innes of Learney the late Lord Lyon."

"The Scottish Tartans Society wrote in 1992: "Count No.2 shows the commonly
seen Innes tartan, previously also known as the Dress MacInnes. This sett
appeared in Thomas Smibert's 'The Clans of the Highlands of Scotland' 1850, as
Inness of Moray and for this reason Innes of Learney appears to have made this
pronouncement. However, W & A K Johnston in their 'The Tartans of the Clans and
Septs of Scotland 1906, 2 Vol. show both the red and green (labelled Hunting)
under the name MacInnes. Innes of Learney says "the true Clan Aonghais
(MacInnes), is that given in MacIntyre North's "Book of the Club of the True
Highlanders", as taken from Logan's (James Logan, The Scottish Gael 1831) original
list which is green and red predominant". One must assume that he is referring
here to the red sett, and apparently contradicting own his statement concerning
the disposition of these two tartans"."

"The 'Clan Innes' does not appear in the famous R R McIan and James Logan's
"Costumes of the Clans". The Clan MacInnes does appear with an illustration of
the famed MacInnes Warrior at the Battle in Morvern."

"So in a word Smibert made a simple error - the Lord Lyon in good faith accepted
the error - and because of the weight of authority of the Lord Lyon of that time,
Inneses have been wearing the red MacInnes tartan believing it to be their own to
this day. The red MacInnes seems to be more popular in Scotland than it is in
the USA."

Reference: Donald MacInnes of Cumbernauld, Scotland. Email,
Februrary 20, 2001. Private correspondence.