In 1822 the first Royal visit to Scotland since 1651 took place. The visitor was the newly crowned King George IV. The arrangements were masterminded by Sir Walter Scott who encouraged the Highland Chiefs to appear before their sovereign in tartan. Very few chiefs knew what their tartan was, and an enterprising weaver, Mr Wilson by name, who resided at Bannockburn near Stirling, obliged by producing suitable tartan patterns.

Sir Thomas Burnett of Leys decided that the Burnetts should be considered Highlanders. He petitioned the Lord Lyon to turn his huntsman supporter in his heraldic achievement into a Highlandman, complete with green doublet, wearing a kilt of red/brown tartan with a hunting horn worn on the left hip and holding a bow on his right hand. (Charles Burnett, Ross Herald, Crannog to Castle)

The dress and hunting Burnett of Leys tartans evolved from that design.

The dress tartan (red) is worn on more formal occasions and with evening dress whilst the hunting version (brown) for daily use.