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Remember The Tartans

Photo by KELVIN MA/staff

Bag piper Bob Sheldon closes out the ceremony blessing the tartans at Temple Terrace Presbyterian Church on Jan. 27, 2008.

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By SARAH ROTHWELL, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 2, 2008

Updated: 01/31/2008 05:11 pm

Additional Photos

TEMPLE TERRACE - The sound of bagpipes echoed through the worship hall Sunday at the Temple Terrace Presbyterian Church.

The congregation rose as members carried flags representing their Scottish heritage down the center isle. It wasn't a typical Sunday service; it was the Kirkin' o' the Tartans, a traditional blessing of Scottish families.

"This event connects us to the church's past," said the Rev. Charles Ringe. "It's the embodiment of Scottish tradition."

The Kirkin' o' the Tartans dates to the 18th century, when the English occupied Scotland. At the time, kilts, bagpipes and tartans (a family's designated plaid print) were banned. As a way around the ban, Scots smuggled small pieces of tartan plaid into Presbyterian churches. Willing clergy blessed the tartans as a symbol of goodwill to Scots of the past, present and future.

In the 1940s, the blessing of the Tartans was reborn in Washington. The annual event, held at churches nationwide, includes a presentation of the tartans, a blessing and a bagpipe musical tribute. The worship service begins with a beadle carrying a Bible into the sanctuary. Beadles have held a special place within the church as protectors of the Scriptures. They can be men or women.

At the Temple Terrace event, Chuck Robertson acted as beadle. Tartans, composed of reds, blues, greens and browns, were carried in as flags. Among the tartans were those representing the Andersons, Anguses, Armstrongs, Campbells, Johnstons, Colquhuons, MacDonalds of Clanranald, Grahams and McVeans, as well as the tartan of the clergy.

Richard McVean represented his family name. With his head held high, he stood before the congregation. Wife Sandy and daughter Melanie looked on.

"I think it's lovely," Melanie said. "I liked seeing my dad carrying something that has so much history."

Melanie attended the service with Catriona Roy, a family friend from Scotland.

"I'm very pleased to see something Scottish going on here," Roy said. "The service is like a modern version of what it's like back home."

Following the official blessing, Robertson read the Lord's Prayer in Gaelic.

"I've been to Scotland, and that's where I learned the prayer," he said. "I don't know if I'm doing it exactly right, but that's OK because nobody here knows."

Bob Sheldon played the bagpipes.

"I've been playing for 20 years and always with great difficulty," he said with a smile. " 'Scotland the Brave' is a hard one to play."

Sheldon and Robertson wore kilts.

"This is all wool," Sheldon said. "I've had it for 15 years. This is where the expression 'the whole nine yards' came from. The kilt and the plait, it's nine yards of fabric."

Sheldon closed the service playing "Amazing Grace."

Sarah Rothwell can be reached at (813)865-4845 or srothwell @tampatrib.com.

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