Blackadder
Blackadder Tartan Collection
Honour a Border name of deep waters with the Blackadder collection — the family of the Blackadder Water in Berwickshire, reivers of the Merse whose roses-and-chevron arms survived even the infamous "fraud of the Homes."
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About the Blackadder Tartan
Clan Blackadder is a Border Scottish clan whose name is a territorial one, taken from the lands and river of Blackadder in Berwickshire, in the Merse near Berwick-upon-Tweed. The name comes from old words meaning a deep or black running water. The Blackadders of that Ilk were Border reivers, riding the troubled frontier. An armigerous clan today, without a chief, the Blackadders are most fittingly worn with the Tweedside District tartan of their home country.
This collection celebrates the Blackadder name and its Border heritage, bringing a fitting Tweedside District tartan into apparel, accessories, home decor and heritage gifts for those who carry the name or trace their line to the Blackadder Water and the Merse.
Blackadder & Tweedside District Colours
Worn through the Tweedside District tartan, the collection draws on the cool river palette of the Borders — blue and green for the waters and hills of the Tweed and Blackadder, with black and a fine red line — fitting for a family that took its name from a deep, dark Border stream.
Who Is This Collection For?
The Blackadder collection is a meaningful choice for the Blackadder family, descendants of Berwickshire and the Merse, those with Border reiver heritage, and anyone drawn to an old Borders name with a dramatic and storied past.
- Blackadder family members
- Berwickshire & the Merse roots
- Border reiver heritage
- Common Ridings & gatherings
- Birthday & Christmas gifts
- Everyday tartan style
Blackadder Clan Heritage
The Blackadders held their lands by the Blackadder Water from at least 1426, when Blakadir of that Ilk appears in the earldom of March, and gained further lands from James II for repelling English raids. But in 1518 disaster struck: after Andrew Blackadder fell at Flodden in 1513, the two young Blackadder heiresses were seized and forced into marriage with younger sons of the Homes of Wedderburn — a notorious affair remembered as "the fraud of the Homes" — carrying the Border lands away from the family.
A kinsman, Sir John Blackadder of Tulliallan, fought to recover the lands but was beheaded in 1531, and the dispute finally ended when the Blackadders relinquished their claim. The name still gave Scotland figures of note: Robert Blackadder, the first Archbishop of Glasgow, and in modern times Dame Elizabeth Blackadder, the celebrated painter and first woman elected to both the Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Academy. The clan arms bear three red roses on a silver chevron.
Blackadder Tartan FAQ
Quick answers about the Blackadder name, the tartan its members wear, and why Blackadder products make meaningful Scottish heritage gifts.
Does Blackadder have its own tartan?
There is no registered Blackadder tartan, so as an armigerous Border clan the Blackadders are most fittingly worn with the Tweedside District tartan of their home country.
Where does the Blackadder name come from?
From the lands and river of Blackadder in Berwickshire, in the Merse. The name comes from old words meaning a deep or black running water.
Were the Blackadders Border reivers?
Yes. The Blackadders of that Ilk were a Border reiving family, riding the troubled Anglo-Scottish frontier near Berwick-upon-Tweed.
What was the "fraud of the Homes"?
In 1518 the two young Blackadder heiresses were seized and forced into marriage with sons of the Homes of Wedderburn, carrying the Blackadder lands away from the family.
Who can wear the Blackadder district tartan?
Anyone of the Blackadder name, or with Berwickshire or Borders roots, can wear a suitable district tartan such as the Tweedside sett.
Is Blackadder tartan a good gift?
Yes. District-tartan Blackadder products make a meaningful gift for the Blackadder family and for those with Berwickshire or Border heritage.
Carry the Blackadder Name with Pride
Discover Tweedside District tartan apparel, accessories and gifts for the Blackadder family — honouring the Blackadder Water, the Merse and a storied Border name.
View Blackadder Tartan Products