Clans & Tartans of Scotland
“Clans & Tartans of Scotland” deck of cards designed and illustrated by Romilly Squire, 1997.
Clans & Tartans of Scotland playing cards were designed and illustrated by Romilly Squire DA. FSA. Scot FRSA and produced by Neil Macleod Prints & Enterprises Ltd in 1997. There are two packs in the set (Lowland & Highland) and each card shows a different Clan Tartan and associated Clansman’s Crest Badge. The Tartans were supplied by the Scottish Tartans Society and the Clan Crests were designed and drawn by Romilly Squire, Heraldic Artist at the Court of Lord Lyon and Deputy Secretary of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs. See the drop-lid double box►
Lowland
Above: Clans & Tartans of Scotland (Lowland) designed and illustrated by Romilly Squire, published by Neil Macleod Prints & Enterprises Ltd, 1997. Image courtesy Matt Probert.
The companion pack is "Clans & Tartans of Scotland (Highland)" issued at exactly the same time (1997). The backs of the Highland pack are coloured blue and silver. Each was available in a single pack or as a double pack in a drop-lid box more►
Highland
Featured here are 54 different Highland Clan Crests and Tartans, each one named. As with the Lowland pack, the Tartans were supplied by the Scottish Tartan Society and the Clan Crests were designed and drawn by Romilly Squire, Heraldic Artist at the Court of the Lord Lyon and Deputy Secretary of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs. See the single box►
Above: the Highland edition of the Clans & Tartans of Scotland pack, published by Neil Macleod Prints & Enterprises Ltd, 1997. 52 cards + 2 Jokers + 1 title card in tuck box. Size: 63 x 88 mm. Backs: lion rampant in silver against a dark blue background including a pattern of thistles.
Note on tartans: there are hundreds more tartans (than those included in these playing cards) and new ones being created all the time, mainly for special events, anniversaries, sports teams, the royal family, etc. In the old days it was only the Highland clans which had tartans to distinguish their friends from their enemies on misty hillsides in the midst of battle. There was an explosion of new ones in the twentieth century, my own one (Somerville) included. In addition, there are several versions of most tartans - ancient, hunting, dress, etc. - in different colours. I can't tell you how many tartans there are in all but it must run into the thousands.
By Roddy Somerville
France • Member since May 31, 2022
Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.
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