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In the Star Trek TOS episode "Savage Curtain", Scotty is shown wearing a tartan and a sporran as part of his dress uniform, as seen below:

Scotty in tartan

Is this an actual clan tartan, and if so, to which clan does it belong?

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JohnP
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2 Answers2

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This Wired article says that the tartan is one of the many Clan Scott designs.

It looks like pieces of the actual tartan were sold and autographed as memorabilia, with a piece recently being auctioned off in 2010, on this online auction site. The page includes a close up of the tartan that allows a better look at the pattern:

Close up of Scotty's Tartan

From this online registry of Scottish clans, this indeed appears to match the "Clan Scott Black & White Ancient" pattern:

Clan Scott pattern

DqwertyC
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Yes. It's one of the ancient Scott Clan Tartans

enter image description here

According to Memory Alpha (referencing The World of Star Trek) the producers were keen to ensure that they had the right one and asked a Scottish connection to procure the correct tartan for Mr Scott.

The idea for a kilt to be included as part of Scott's dress uniform was thought up by actor James Doohan. He later recalled, "They [the producers] immediately grabbed onto the idea. They sent to Scotland for the Scott tartan." (The World of Star Trek, 3rd ed., p. 94)

It may interest you to learn that actor James Doohan regularly wore that particular tartan at events.

enter image description here

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Valorum
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    I’m mildly shocked they got it right. – Adamant Jan 25 '18 at 17:36
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    @Adamant - I suspect they literally phoned the first tartan suppliers in the Edinburgh phone book. – Valorum Jan 25 '18 at 18:03
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    Kind of defeats the object of a "uniform", doesn't it. I don't recall any other such allowances other than for extreme cases like the only Klingon in Starfleet, and the only Ferengi in Starfleet. Could it be that Scotty was the only Scot in Starfleet? Hum. – Lightness Races in Orbit Jan 25 '18 at 21:32
  • @LightnessRacesinOrbit There exist tartans for several armed forces. US Air Force has a tartan (I have one). Although admittedly, it's only approved wear for the Reserve Pipe band. – JohnP Jan 26 '18 at 02:14
  • @LightnessRacesinOrbit Obviously Starfleet relaxes the "uniform" notion when it comes to dress occasions. And even in regular work, Kirk occasionally switches from the regular tunic to the wrap-around (have we ever seen anyone else wearing that variant?). – Barmar Jan 26 '18 at 08:17
  • @Barmar - Captain's prerogative... – Valorum Jan 26 '18 at 10:24
  • @JohnP: Wow, that's... actually kind of offensive of them. Cultural appropriation much?! – Lightness Races in Orbit Jan 26 '18 at 14:54
  • @Barmar: True Captains get some special uniforms but I don't think that was any sort of personal cultural dispensation. Out of universe Scotty was literally designed as coming from what must have seemed like an "exotic" culture to the intended audience of the day; but in the context of the show, and even modern times on Earth, it seems a bit odd to me to give Scottish formalwear such special attention. And I am Scottish. – Lightness Races in Orbit Jan 26 '18 at 14:55
  • @LightnessRacesinOrbit most every paramilitary org (fire, police, etc) in the US has Emerald Society or similar for Irish/Scots heritage, with appopriate associated attire. More a recognition than appropriation. I'm Irish/Scot descent and don't find it insulting. Nor do many of my ex-pat associates. But, ymmv depending on how traditionalist you are. – JohnP Jan 26 '18 at 15:10
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    @JohnP: Well you probably don't find it insulting because you're Irish/Scot descent rather than, y'know, actually an Irishman or a Scot (i.e. you lot are the ones doing it!). But YMMV is right so :) – Lightness Races in Orbit Jan 26 '18 at 15:17
  • @LightnessRacesinOrbit - As I said, many of my ex-pat friends don't care. I also talked to another moderator who is Scottish and he doesn't care either. But I do understand your position. I feel much the same when I see a non military person wearing a uniform or similar. :) – JohnP Jan 26 '18 at 15:25
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    @JohnP: Fair enough. I might wager that ex-pats, as people who have literally made a decision to leave their homeland behind, may feel less of a connection to it than do some other people. Or that could be nonsense. – Lightness Races in Orbit Jan 26 '18 at 15:26
  • Mind you, I currently live in England – Lightness Races in Orbit Jan 26 '18 at 15:27
  • @LightnessRacesinOrbit - You heathen. :) – JohnP Jan 26 '18 at 15:33
  • I know right – Lightness Races in Orbit Jan 26 '18 at 15:35
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    Out of universe, it seems like Roddenberry often went out of way to highlight the cultural diversity of the Enterprise crew. Like Chechov's frequent "Russians invented ...". You'd think that in a post-racial, united world society there wouldn't be so much emphasis on traditional cultural stereotypes, but he was writing for a 20th century audience. – Barmar Jan 26 '18 at 16:47
  • @Valorum I suspect they literally phoned the first tartan suppliers in the Edinburgh phone book. If they did that, I can almost guarantee that, upon hearing an American accent, the supplier would have shipped whatever old remnants he had, along with his personal guarantee that the shipped tartan was the very first Scott design, reserved for noble use only, and not seen "in the wild" since Bannockburn; "och, sair, ye'll be the ainly mon wearin' that tartan, an' Ah'm fairly gein' it awa at jist £1,000 the yard!". Take it from a descendant of clan Farquharson. – Spratty May 07 '20 at 15:48