Tartan Samples

Tartan samples are a great way to help you decide which tartan you prefer. To order a tartan sample, click here.

A Brief History of Clan Ballie

The Ballie Clan motto is Quid Clarius Astris (What is brighter than the stars). Many believe that the Baillie surname originates from Balliol – that of King John Balliol, King of Scots between 1292 and 1296. The name actually originates from the word Bailiff. The first recorded use of the Baillie name in Scotland occurred in 1311 when a William de Baillie was listed as a juror in a trial over forfeited land in the Lothians. William Baillie of Hoprig was knighted by David II in 1357 and in 1368 was given a Charter for Lands at Lamington. The Baillie surname is most commonly found in Edinburgh & The Lothians, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire. 

A notable Ballie is Grizel Baillie (1665-1746), who was the daughter of Sir Patrick Home, and married Robert Baillie of Jerviswood’s son George. When her father was imprisoned for his Protestant principles and then escaped, she sheltered him in Polwarth Church. She accompanied him to Holland where he became an advisor to William of Orange.

The Ballie tartan consists of mainly green and blue with accents of yellow. There is also a sept tartan that features red and blue that bleed into each other to create an additional purple shade. Either version of the Ballie tartan would be a fantastic choice for a kilt or tartan trews.