Sgian Dubh

The item that creates the most interest during the band's visit to schools is the Sgian Dubh, pictured left.

Many people may well argue that it is spelt in a particular way, few will agree what the correct spelling should be.   However it will suffice to say that phonetically it is pronounced skee-an or skeen doo, though the meaning itself is not in dispute.   Sgian means "knife" or "dagger" and dubh meaning "black", and most people agree that black in this case means secret or hidden or even evil, terms all drawn from the theories about the knife's origin.

It is said that the sgian dubh evolved from the sgian achlais - armpit dagger - which was said to have been carried in the upper sleeve of the jacket or perhaps in the lining in the body of the jacket under the left arm.  Courtesy demanded that when entering the home of a friend no weapon would remain concealed and the hose top is seen as the logical place to display it.  

Broadsword

Often described as a Claymore the Broadsword, or as sometimes referred to as a Basket-hilt Broadsword (pictured right), was in common use in Scotland during the mid 16th century and later.  With a blade measuring about 90cm in length, the broadsword was used in lethal combination with the dirk (pictured below)and targe (also pictured below).

Dirk

Evolving from the medieval ballock dagger, a stabbing weapon with a heavy sharply pointed blade that was designed to pierce armour, the dirk (pictured left) first appeared in the early 1600's and had a blade anywhere between 35cm - 42cm in length.  By the mid 1700's the form of the dirk had become a more stable design. It had a single edge spear point blade 25cm - 33cm in length and had a knot work carved handle, sometimes with decorative metal pins (pictured far left).

Targe

Since the time of the Celts the Highland Targe, a circular shield measuring about 48cm in diameter, was the Highlander's main means of defence and was still in use during the time of Bonnie Prince Charles and his fateful campaign that culminated in the Battle of Culloden in 1746.   It was made from 2 layers of timber, either oak, ash or elm, and covered with hide and decorated with small studs and would usually have a lethal 15cm to 23cm steel spike in the centre.  At the back were 2 leather straps, one that secured to the left forearm and the the other held in the hand.

In battle the targe would often be used with the dirk, which was half hidden behind the targe(as pictured) and with the broadsword in the other hand it proved a formidable fighting combination

Claymore

The Claymore, the famous two handed sword of the highland warriors first appeared about 1490 and measured between 135cm and 152cm overall.

        Kilt

The kilt, now seen as the national dress of Scotland, started life confined entirely to the Scottish Highlands.  Lowlanders would have nothing to do with such a barbarous form of apparel and conferred upon the Highlanders the term "Redshanks"because of the lack of covering on their legs and because they were said to be blue with cold.

The Highland Scots are said to have emigrated from Ireland, displaced the native Picts and made the Highlands their own.  They brought with them their Irish dress and as late as the mid 16th century the most common dress for men was the leine - a voluminous saffron shirt comprising more than 20 metres of material. Irish and Scottish dress at that time was nearly indistinguishable.

Evolving somewhere around that time the kilt in its original form was a very basic garment measuring some 1.35 metres in width and 5.5 metres in length.  It was known as the Feileadh Mor - the big kilt and was usually referred to as the belted plaid.

To wear it the wearer would lay a broad leather belt on the ground and lay the plaid (From the Gaelic Plaide meaning blanket) lengthways on top of it.  He would then pleat the lower end of the plaid in the middle and lay down so that the edge reached to the middle of his knees.  He would then pull the unpleated sides of the plaid around his waist and fasten it with the belt.  The spare material was then gathered and wrapped around the waist and then fastened to the left shoulder with a large brooch or pin.

The Feileadh Beg or little kilt is what is worn today and it is not thought to have existed before 1725.  the indignity of this may lay in the fact that the originator of the modern kilt was an Englishman by the name of Rawlinson, the manager of an iron smelting works in Lochaber, whom it is said adapted it to allow more freedom of movement for his workers.

Sporran

Because the kilt did not have pockets the sporran was born of neccessity to provide a receptacle for the various bits and pieces, including lead shot for muskets.

The earliest sporran was a simple draw-string cloth or thin leather bag that was hung around the waist.

The sporrans shown here are the ordinary day sporran (far left) and the evening sporran, which is much more ornate in design.  Not shown is the hair sporran that is worn mostly by military personnel and others when in full highland dress.

                       Footwear

Highlanders did not often wear shoes and were often bare legged and bare footed, which led to the name of "Redshanks" being conferred upon them.  What shoes they did wear were very rough consisting of a piece of deerskin or cow hide wrapped around each foot and held in place with strips of narrow leather thonging.   Because these shoes were not waterproof they cut holes in them to let water out.  These are the forerunners of the brogues seen right, which have no tongue and have holes punched in the outer decorated leather and long laces that are fastened around the lower leg.

Hose

Although most often bare legged and without shoes, when the Highlanders began to wear leg coverings they were made of cloth and were not knitted like they are today.  They were usually a red and white check pattern and because there was no elastic in those days to keep the socks up they would tie some plaited hay or straw around the top.    Later, garters were woven on a small loom and were about a metre long and ended in a special knot called the Sniomh Gartain (pr: snaime garshtan)

Belt                                 

Usually made of cowhide the Highlander's belt was about 80 - 100mms in width with a brass or silver buckle.

                  Headwear

"Blue bonnets over the border" a well known Scottish song written by Sir Walter Scott, says in the last verse -

Trumpets are sounding, war steeds are bounding,
Stand to your arms, and march in good order;
       England shall many a day tell of the bloody fray,
     When the blue bonnets came over the border.

This often spoken of apparel was in all probability the Highlander's bonnet that came to be known as the Tam o' Shanter.  Either knitted or made of cloth it was nearly always blue in colour although it could sometimes be grey or brown.  Worn tight around the brow and loose on top, in its centre was a pompom (toorie) for decoration.  Over time it became smaller and was known as a Balmoral (Pictured left above).

As time went by the style of the balmoral changed in the way that it was worn.  This led to the new style of cap called a Glengarry (Pictured right above)

Now test your knowledge

Acknowlegements

The items featured here represent much of what is discussed during the band's visits. It is in no way complete in describing the weaponry and clothing of the Highlanders, nor is it intended.  That information abounds throughout the web, some of which was sourced to compile this project.

The band's history is featured elsewhere within this site therefore it is not reproduced here.

The following web sites are acknowledged for the information provided :-

The History Of Scotland
Scottish History And Culture
Scottish Historical Clothing Research
Scottish Tartans Authority
A Short History Of Tartan
Joe D Huddleston
Scottish History