Black Watch:  This is a governmen issue tartan worn by the Black Watch military regiment.  It is the common basis for many clan tartans and is considered a good tartan for general use.  Also very common in fashion.
	Hunting Stewart:  Not actually associated with the Stewart family, this tartan has been considered one for "general usage" since it was first woven in the 1840s.
	Royal Stewart:  This is the tartan of the Queen, and in the same way that clansmen wear their chief's tartan, any subject of the British Crown may wear this tartan.  This is also one of the most popular tartans for fashion in America.
	Caledonia:  This is the district tartan representing all of Scotland.  Caledonia was the Roman name for Scotland.
	Flower of Scotland:  This commemorative tartan was designed for the song "Flower of Scotland," about the Scottish heros, Bruce and Wallace.  Now considered a tartan for anyone with a love for Scotland.

There are several district tartans which have become very popular in modern fashion, and are generally worn by anyone, including Holyrood and Musselburgh.  Other district tartans may be worn to commemorate events of historical importance, such as Culloden or Stirling and Bannockburn.  Those whose sympathies lean towards Scottish independance may wish to wear the Jacobite tartan.  There are also certain clan tartans that are used frequently by clothing manufacturers and are sold often without clan affiliation, such as Lindsay and MacLeod of Lewis.  If you have a friend or loved one who is part of a clan, you may wish to wear that clan's tartan in their honor.  Of course, there are no laws concerning tartan wear, and the notion of a "right" to wear a tartan is a fallacy in most cases.  So pick a tartan that you find attractive.  Just remember that tartan stands for something, and by wearing and displaying a tartan, you do honor to what it represents.
 

Holyrood	Musselburgh
Culloden	Stirling & Bannockburn
Jacobite	Tartan images courtesy of the Scottish Tartans Society.

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