CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



changes and vicissitudes. Anciently, the dress 

 of the Scotch, both those of the Highlands and 

 Lowlands, was distinguished by party-colours, 

 woven in checks, according to taste or ancient 

 usage. By the Celtic race in the Highlands, 

 this species of variegating cloth with colours was 

 called Breacan, which signifies spotted ; and by 

 the Teutonic population of the Lowlands it 

 received the name of Tartan, a word whose origin 

 has defied the researches of etymologists. To 

 the present day, cloths checked in various colours 

 are worn by the Kalmucks and other tribes in the 

 north of Europe. Tartan for clothing disappeared 

 in the Lowlands of Scotland in the course of the 

 seventeenth century ; but even as late as the be- 

 ginning of the eighteenth century, party-coloured 

 plaids were pretty generally worn ; and young 

 women were in the habit of using a 'tartan screen' 

 that is, a small plaid of variegated colours. The 

 tartan screen, which was worn in the fashion of a 

 covering for the head and shoulders, so as to com- 

 bine in some measure the properties of a modern 

 bonnet and shawl, was formed of costly materials ; 

 the ladies of the higher classes employing silk, 

 and those of inferior station fine worsted, the 

 colours in each case being remarkably brilliant. 

 Being often employed with a degree of real or 

 affected modesty to conceal a part of the features, 

 it may be said to have performed the office of a 

 veil to Scottish maidens ; and hence its appella- 

 tion of screen. Perhaps the use of this species of 

 coif was a consequence of a point of etiquette, 

 which rendered it indecorous for young unmarried 

 women to wear any regular garment on the head. 



While tartan disappeared from the Lowlands, 

 except in the screens of the women and the plaids 

 of the shepherds, it continued to be in universal 

 use in the Highlands, where it may be said to 

 have been always associated with the manners of 

 the people ; and this leads us to say a few words 

 respecting 



Highland Costume. Originally, the costume of 

 the Highlanders resembled that of other Celtic 

 tribes, and consisted of little else than a woollen 

 garment of variegated colours, wrapped round the 

 body and loins, with a portion hanging down to 

 cover the upper part of the legs. In progress of 

 time this rude fashion was superseded by a dis- 

 tinct piece of cloth forming a fillibeg or kilt, while 

 another piece was thrown loosely as a mantle or 

 plaid over the body and shoulders. In either case, 

 the cloth was variegated in conformity with the 

 prescribed breacan, or symbol of the clan ; and 

 hence the tartan was sometimes called cath-dath, 

 or battle-colours, in token of forming a distinction 

 of clans in the field of battle. 



In 1747, with the view of breaking the spirit of 

 the clans, a law was enacted proscribing the use 

 of the Highland dress, including the tartan in all 

 its varieties. The following is the provision in 

 the act of parliament on the subject : ' That from 

 and after the 1st day of August 1747, no man nor 

 boy, within that part of Great Britain called Scot- 

 land, other than such as shall be employed as 

 officers and soldiers in His Majesty's forces, shall, 

 on any pretence whatever, wear or put on the 

 clothes commonly called Highland clothes that 

 is to say, the plaid, filibeg or little kilt, trowse, 



800 



shoulder-belts, or any part whatsoever of what 

 peculiarly belongs to the Highland garb ; and 

 that no tartan or party-coloured plaid or stuff shall 

 be used for greatcoats or for upper-coats ; every 

 person offending, being convicted by the oath of 

 one or more credible witnesses before any court 

 of justiciary, " shall suffer imprisonment, without 

 bail, during the space of six months ;" and being 

 convicted for a second offence, shall be trans- 

 ported to any of His Majesty's plantations beyond 

 seas, there to remain the space of seven years.' 

 This contemptible law was repealed in the year 

 1782 ; but before that time the tartan and 'the 

 garb of old Gaul ' had been generally abandoned, 

 except among Highland regiments, and it is chiefly 

 copies from their attire that have guided modern 

 attempts at reviving the costume. 



The bonnet has for ages been a part of the 

 Highland costume, as it was formerly also of the 

 Lowlanders, and of the English, previous to the 

 introduction of felt hats. The English gave up 

 bonnets sooner than the Scotch ; and ultimately 

 the cry that ' the blue bonnets are over the Border,' 

 was equivalent to saying that a party of Scotch 

 marauders had entered England on one of their 

 usual hostile excursions. The Highlanders, with 

 whom the bonnet has remained longest as a part 

 of ordinary dress, have adopted very many shapes 

 and modes of ornamenting their headgear. The 

 heavy plume of black feathers used in the army 

 is quite modern, and in exceedingly bad taste, 

 besides being totally unconformable to the idea of 

 a primitive and light costume. The true bonnet 

 of the Highlands is small, either round or peaked 

 in front, dark-blue or gray in colour, and without 

 any tartan or checkering. In fancy dress, how- 

 ever, the bonnet is somewhat larger, and occasion- 

 ally has a band of tartan. Highland chiefs were 

 distinguished by three pinion feathers of the native 

 eagle stuck in the bonnet ; and gentlemen were 

 entitled to wear a single feather. It was custom- 

 ary also for the members of each clan to wear in 

 the bonnet a peculiar badge formed of some native 

 shrub. Authorities differ as to the precise shrubs 

 worn for this purpose. The Buchanans used a 

 sprig of bilberry ; the Camerons, crowberry ; the 

 Campbells, fir-club-moss ; the Forbeses, broom ; 

 Frasers, yew ; &c. 



The full dress of Highland chiefs and gentlemen 

 has always been liberally ornamented with sword, 

 baldrick, dirk, skean-dhu (worn in the stocking), 

 large brooches, buckles, shot-pouch, and purse. 

 The purse or sporan is a most important part of 

 the costume ; it is formed of the skin of a wild 

 animal with the hair on, and tied to the waist by 

 a band, hangs down in front, so as to fall easily 

 upon the lap, and not incommode the legs in 

 walking. It is. usually ornamented with silver 

 tags and tassels, and a flap covering the mouth of 

 the purse is sometimes decorated with the vizard 

 of a fox. 



After a period of indifference to the preservation 

 of the Highland dress, a revival of the national 

 tone of feeling respecting it has been for some 

 time apparent. At the same time, it is employed 

 only as a fancy costume ; and in the Highlands, 

 the ordinary dress of the English is in common 



use. 





