State Tartan

Carolina Tartan

by Steven Case
Government & Heritage Library, 2007

The General Assembly of 1991 officially designated pattern known as the Carolina Tartan to be the official State Tartan (Session Laws, 1991, c. 85).

A unique blend of red, azure, black, yellow, green and white, the Carolina Tartan was first registered with the Scottish Tartans Society in 1981, and is also the Official Tartan for South Carolina. The design is a variation of a tartan associated with two monarchs--King Charles II, who gave his name to the Carolinas, and the honorary bodyguard of King George II, who designated both North and South Carolina as Royal Colonies in 1729. Large numbers of Scots helped to colonize the Carolinas in the 17th and 18th centuries, and the State is now home to a number of festivals, games, and organizations that celebrate Carolina's Scottish heritage, including the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, the Scottish Tartan Museum, and the North Carolina Scottish Heritage Society.